Feliz cinco de mayo
/feliθ θinko de maʝo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "happy fifth of may" is translated into Spanish as Feliz cinco de mayo.
This phrase is a greeting used to celebrate the holiday of Cinco de Mayo.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Feliz (happy), cinco (five), de (of) and mayo (May).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, months like mayo are not capitalized unless they start a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/feliθ θinko de maʝo/
Did you know?
- While people in the US use Feliz cinco de mayo widely, the date is not a national public holiday in Mexico and is primarily celebrated only in the state of Puebla.
- The word cinco descends from the Latin 'quīnque', making it a distant relative of the English word 'quintet'.
- While many English speakers associate this phrase with Mexican independence, the holiday actually commemorates a battle from 1862, which is a distinction often missed in English-speaking celebrations.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María meet at a street festival.
- Alejandro¡Hola, María! ¡Feliz cinco de mayo!Hello, María! Happy Fifth of May!
- María¡Gracias, Alejandro! Igualmente.Thanks, Alejandro! You too.
- Alejandro¿Vas a ir a la fiesta hoy?Are you going to the party today?
- MaríaSí, iré con mi familia.Yes, I will go with my family.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinco, de, feliz, mayo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
