feliz cumpleaños prima
/feliθ kumpleaɲos pɾima/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "happy birthday to female cousin" is expressed as feliz cumpleaños prima.
The phrase feliz cumpleaños prima is a basic and common way to wish a female cousin a happy birthday. The term prima is the feminine form for cousin and is used universally among Spanish speakers.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of feliz (happy), cumpleaños (birthday) and prima (female cousin).
Which one should you use?
While feliz cumpleaños prima is the standard phrase, you may encounter the informal, shortened version ¡Feliz cumple, prima! In casual settings, Spanish speakers often shorten cumpleaños to cumple.
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a male cousin instead of a female cousin, change the final a in prima to an o to get primo. In written Spanish, it is grammatically correct to place a comma before the person's name or title (the vocative) when addressing them directly, as seen in ¡Feliz cumpleaños, prima!
How do you pronounce it?
/feliθ kumpleaɲos pɾima/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to sing 'Las Mañanitas' instead of the standard 'Happy Birthday' song to celebrate a birthday.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the term prima can be used affectionately for close female friends who are not actually related by blood.
- The word cumpleaños literally translates to 'fulfills years' because it describes the act of completing a cycle of years.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cumpleaños, feliz, prima, CC BY-SA 4.0.
