tengo seis años
/tenɡo seis aɲos/from spelling rules
To say "I am six years old" in Spanish, use tengo seis años.
This phrase is used to state a person's current age.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "I have six years". The word tengo is the first-person singular present tense of the verb tener, which means "to have".
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating age, you must use the verb tener (to have) in the first-person singular present tense. Do not use the verb ser (to be).
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo seis aɲos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say soy seis años by trying to translate "I am" directly. Instead, you must use the verb tener to say tengo seis años.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb tener is also used for other physical states that English describes as 'to be', such as tener hambre for 'to be hungry' or tener sed for 'to be thirsty'.
- The word años can also mean 'rings' in a botanical context, referring to the growth rings of a tree used to determine its age.
- In some Spanish dialects, when talking about a child's age, you might hear the phrase cumplir años, which literally means 'to fulfill years' rather than just 'having' them.
Examples in context
- Yo tengo seis añosI am six years old.
- Me llamo Ana, tengo seis años y me encanta jugar al fútbol.My name is Ana, I am six years old, and I love playing soccer.
- Hola, soy Diego, tengo seis años y vivo en Madrid.Hi, I'm Diego, I am six years old, and I live in Madrid.
- Hoy cumplo seis añosToday I turn six years old.
- Tengo seis años ahora.I am six years old now.
- Ya tengo seis años.I am already six years old.
Example conversation
Two children are meeting for the first time at a park.
- María¿Cuántos años tienes, Daniel?How old are you, Daniel?
- DanielYo tengo seis años, ¿y tú?I am six years old, and you?
- MaríaYo también tengo seis años.I am six years old too.
- Daniel¡Qué bien! Vamos a jugar.That's great! Let's play.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
