Felices quince años
/feliθes kinθe aɲos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "happy fifteenth birthday" is translated into Spanish as Felices quince años.
This phrase is used to wish someone a happy birthday specifically when they are turning fifteen. In informal settings, you may hear the term cumple used as a shorthand for cumpleaños (birthday), such as in the greeting ¡Feliz cumple, quinceañera! Another informal way to offer congratulations on this milestone is ¡Felicidades en tus quince!
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Felices quince años translates to "Happy fifteen years."
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the phrase ¡Felices quinces! is used specifically to denote a fifteenth birthday celebration.
How do you pronounce it?
/feliθes kinθe aɲos/
Did you know?
- In some traditions, the birthday girl changes her shoes from flat slippers to high heels during the celebration to visually represent her growth into womanhood.
- During a quinceañera party, the girl often performs a choreographed waltz with her father and a court of friends, symbolizing her transition to adulthood.
- The word quince shares a common linguistic ancestor with the English word 'five', as both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root for the number five.
Examples in context
- ¡Felices quince años, princesa!Happy fifteenth birthday, princess!
- ¡Felices quince años a mi mejor amiga!Happy fifteenth birthday to my best friend!
Example conversation
Javier is surprising Elena at her birthday party.
- Javier¡Sorpresa! ¡Felices quince años, Elena!Surprise! Happy fifteenth birthday, Elena!
- Elena¡Muchas gracias, Javier! No lo esperaba.Thank you so much, Javier! I wasn't expecting this.
- JavierTe ves muy hermosa hoy.You look very beautiful today.
- ElenaEres muy amable, gracias por venir.You are very kind, thanks for coming.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quince, CC BY-SA 4.0.
