¿eres virgen?
The English phrase "are you a virgin?" is translated into Spanish as ¿eres virgen?
This phrase is used to ask if a person has ever had sexual intercourse.
Which one should you use?
While ¿eres virgen? specifically asks the listener (you), the phrase ¿Es virgen? can be used to ask if a third person (he or she) is a virgin or it can be used to address the listener using the formal 'usted'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this context, the word virgen is an invariant adjective, which means it does not change its ending to match a female subject.
Did you know?
- The verb eres is a linguistic fossil. It actually comes from the Latin 'eris', which is the future tense 'you will be', rather than the present tense form used in classical Latin.
- In Spanish, the term virgen is often used colloquially to describe someone who is completely inexperienced or naive about a specific activity, not just sex.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿eres virgen? is considered extremely intrusive and socially taboo. Unlike the more casual way this might be addressed in some English-speaking circles, it is rarely used in polite conversation.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿es usted virgen?Excuse me, are you a virgin?
- Él me preguntó: '¿Eres virgen?'He asked me, 'Are you a virgin?'
Example conversation
Two young adults are talking about their past relationships.
- MateoTengo una pregunta personal, ¿eres virgen?I have a personal question, are you a virgin?
- SofíaSí, lo soy. ¿Y tú?Yes, I am. And you?
- MateoYo también lo soy.I am too.
- SofíaMe alegra saber eso, Mateo.I am glad to know that, Mateo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eres, virgen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
