Feliz primer cumpleaños
/feliθ pɾimeɾ kumpleaɲos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "happy first birthday" is translated into Spanish as Feliz primer cumpleaños.
This phrase is used as a greeting to wish someone a happy celebration on their first birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of feliz (happy), primer (first) and cumpleaños (birthday).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, one can say ¡Felicidades por tu primer año de vida! In Argentina, one can say ¡Feliz primer añito de vida!
How does it change in a sentence?
The word primer is a shortened version of primero, used because it precedes a masculine singular noun. The word cumpleaños is a compound noun that remains the same in both singular and plural forms.
How do you pronounce it?
/feliθ pɾimeɾ kumpleaɲos/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the first birthday is often celebrated with a mordida, where the child is encouraged to take their first bite directly from the cake.
- The word cumpleaños is a verb-object compound, literally meaning a 'year-fulfiller' because it celebrates the completion of a year of life.
- The word feliz shares its Latin root with the English word 'felicity', though the latter is far less common in everyday speech than feliz is in Spanish.
Examples in context
- ¡Feliz primer cumpleaños, pequeño!Happy first birthday, little one!
- Le deseo un feliz primer cumpleaños.I wish him a happy first birthday.
- ¡Feliz primer cumpleaños a tu hija!Happy first birthday to your daughter!
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are at a child's birthday party.
- Lucía¡Feliz primer cumpleaños para tu hijo, Javier!Happy first birthday to your son, Javier!
- JavierMuchas gracias, Lucía. Qué amable eres.Thank you very much, Lucía. You are so kind.
- Lucía¿Te gusta el regalo?Do you like the gift?
- JavierSí, es perfecto para él.Yes, it is perfect for him.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cumpleaños, feliz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
