What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Tengo siete años translates to "I have seven years".
Which one should you use?
The phrase Tengo siete años de edad is a more formal way to say "I am seven years of age", whereas Tengo siete añitos is an informal version used with an endearing tone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Latin American countries, you might hear Yo tengo siete años, where the addition of Yo serves to emphasize the subject. In some regions of Spain, people may use Tengo siete años cumplidos to indicate that someone has completed or turned a specific age.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express age, Spanish uses the first-person singular form of the verb tener (to have), which is Tengo. Unlike English, where you can sometimes omit the word "old", the word años (years) is a required part of this phrase in Spanish.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Soy siete años. English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (soy) instead of tener (tengo) when stating age.
Did you know?
- If you confuse años (years) with anos (anuses) by omitting the tilde (˜), the sentence Tengo siete años changes its meaning entirely.
- Because Spanish treats age as something you 'possess' via the verb tener, the same verb is used to express that you 'have' hunger, thirst or cold.
- The word siete shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'seven', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European word *septḿ̥.
Examples in context
- Hola, soy María y tengo siete años.Hello, I'm María and I am seven years old.
- Mi nombre es Antonio y tengo siete años de edad.My name is Antonio and I am seven years of age.
- ¡Hola! Me llamo Pablo y tengo siete años.Hi! My name is Pablo, and I am seven years old.
- Soy Julia y tengo siete añitos.I'm Julia, and I am seven years old.
- Mi nombre es Marta, y yo tengo siete años.My name is Marta, and I am seven years old.
Example conversation
Two children are meeting at a playground.
- LucíaHola, soy Lucía. ¿Cuántos años tienes?Hello, I am Lucía. How old are you?
- AlejandroHola, soy Alejandro. Tengo siete años.Hello, I am Alejandro. I am seven years old.
- Lucía¡Yo también tengo siete años!I am seven years old too!
- Alejandro¡Qué bien! ¿Quieres jugar?That's great! Do you want to play?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries siete, CC BY-SA 4.0.
