tengo once años
/tenɡo onθe aɲos/from spelling rules
The phrase 'I am eleven years old' in Spanish is tengo once años.
This phrase is a statement used to express a person's current age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tengo once años literally translates to 'I have eleven years'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people might use the more formal expression Tengo once años de edad to express their age.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express age in Spanish, you must use the verb tener (to have) instead of ser (to be).
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo onθe aɲos/
Did you know?
- The word once is a linguistic 'false friend' because it looks like the English word 'once', but in Spanish it actually means the number eleven.
- The word once is a direct descendant of the Latin word ūndecim, which combines 'unus' (one) and 'decem' (ten).
- In some Spanish dialects, the 'c' in once is pronounced like an 's', while in most of Spain it is pronounced like the 'th' in 'think'.
Examples in context
- Tengo once años y estudio en primaria.I am eleven years old and I study in elementary school.
- Tengo once años ahora.I am eleven years old now.
- No es un error, tengo once años.It is not a mistake, I am eleven years old.
Example conversation
Two children are introducing themselves at school.
- Lucía¿Cuántos años tienes, Alejandro?How old are you, Alejandro?
- AlejandroYo tengo once años, ¿y tú?I am eleven years old, and you?
- LucíaYo también tengo once años.I am eleven years old too.
- Alejandro¡Qué bien! Somos de la misma edad.That's great! We are the same age.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries once, CC BY-SA 4.0.
