Tengo quince años
/tenɡo kinθe aɲos/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'I am fifteen years old' is expressed in Spanish as Tengo quince años.
This phrase is used to communicate your current age.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'I have fifteen years'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, age is expressed using the verb tener (to have) in the first-person singular present tense. When using this structure, the noun años (years) must follow the number to complete the expression of age.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo kinθe aɲos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
In Spanish, you must use tener (tengo) instead of 'to be' to express age.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the age of fifteen is marked by a quinceañera, a lavish celebration and rite of passage for girls transitioning from childhood to womanhood.
- The word años can also mean 'rings' in the context of counting the age of a tree by looking at its trunk.
- While Spanish uses tener for age, it also uses the same verb for physical sensations like tengo hambre for 'I am hungry' and tengo frío for 'I am cold'.
Examples in context
- No soy un niño, tengo quince años.I am not a child, I am fifteen years old.
- Tengo quince años y estudio en la escuela.I am fifteen years old and I study at school.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are introducing themselves at a party.
- MateoHola, soy Mateo. ¿Cuántos años tienes?Hi, I'm Mateo. How old are you?
- LucíaHola Mateo, yo tengo quince años.Hi Mateo, I am fifteen years old.
- Mateo¡Yo también tengo quince años!I am fifteen years old too!
- Lucía¡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.
