Tengo dieciséis años
/tenɡo djeθiseis aɲos/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I am sixteen years old" is said as Tengo dieciséis años.
This phrase is used to state a person's current age. You can also add añitos to the end of the phrase to add a sense of affection or cuteness.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I have sixteen years" because Spanish uses the verb tener (to have) rather than ser (to be) to express age.
Which one should you use?
While Tengo dieciséis años is the standard way to state your age, you may also see Tengo dieciséis años de edad used to mean the same thing. For a shorter version, Tengo dieciséis can be used informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb tener must be conjugated to match the subject. For "I", the form is tengo.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo djeθiseis aɲos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Soy dieciséis años. English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) to express age, but in Spanish, you must use tener (to have).
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people may use the verb cumplir instead of tener when announcing that they have just reached their sixteenth birthday, meaning 'to complete' or 'to fulfill' those years.
- While Tengo dieciséis años states your age, the verb tener is also used for many physical and emotional states that English expresses with 'to be', such as Tengo hambre for 'I am hungry' and Tengo miedo for 'I am afraid'.
- The word dieciséis evolved from the Old Spanish dizeseis and diezeseis, which replaced an earlier word seze derived from the Latin sēdecim.
Examples in context
- Tengo dieciséis años.I am sixteen years old.This sentence is useful for stating that you are sixteen years old using Tengo dieciséis años.Tatoeba #536304 by Shishir, translation #258523 by CN
- Tengo dieciséis años ahora.I am sixteen years old now.
- No soy un niño, tengo dieciséis años.I am not a child, I am sixteen years old.
Example conversation
Two teenagers are introducing themselves at a party.
- Javier¿Cuántos años tienes, Lucía?How old are you, Lucía?
- LucíaTengo dieciséis años, ¿y tú, Javier?I am sixteen years old, and you, Javier?
- JavierYo tengo diecisiete años.I am seventeen years old.
- Lucía¡Qué bien! Somos casi de la misma edad.That's great! We are almost the same age.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dieciséis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
