cumpleañera
/kumpleaˈɲeɾa/
The Spanish word for birthday girl is cumpleañera.
cumpleañera is used to describe a woman or girl who is celebrating her birthday. You may also encounter other terms depending on the desired tone, such as La agasajada to mean the guest of honor or La festejada to refer to the girl being celebrated.
Meaning: woman or girl who is celebrating their birthday (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word cumpleañera is a compound of cumpleaños (birthday) and the feminine suffix -era, which denotes a person associated with the noun.
Which one should you use?
While cumpleañera is the feminine form, if you are referring to a boy or man celebrating his birthday, you should use the masculine form cumpleañero.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to more than one girl celebrating a birthday, use the plural form cumpleañeras.
How do you pronounce it?
/kumpleaˈɲeɾa/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the cumpleañera is subjected to 'la mordida', where guests push her face into the cake for the first bite.
- Unlike English, which uses the noun 'birthday' as a modifier, Spanish uses the verb cumplir (to complete/fulfill) to build the word cumpleaños.
- In many Latin American countries, instead of just saying 'Happy Birthday', people sing 'Las Mañanitas', a traditional folk song specifically dedicated to the birthday person.
Examples in context
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños a la cumpleañera!Happy birthday to the birthday girl!
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños a la cumpleañerita más linda!Happy birthday to the cutest birthday girl!
- Hoy todos esperamos que la festejada disfrute su día al máximoToday, we all hope the one being celebrated enjoys her day to the fullest
- La cumpleañera está muy feliz hoy.The birthday girl is very happy today.
- ¿Dónde está la cumpleañera?Where is the birthday girl?
Example conversation
Daniel and María are at a birthday party.
- María¡Mira, Daniel, ahí está la cumpleañera!Look, Daniel, there is the birthday girl!
- DanielEs verdad, se ve muy guapa.It's true, she looks very pretty.
- MaríaVamos a darle su regalo a la cumpleañera.Let's give the birthday girl her gift.
- Daniel¡Buena idea, María!Good idea, María!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cumpleañera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
