tengo diez años
/tenɡo djeθ aɲos/from spelling rules
To say "I am ten" in Spanish, you say tengo diez años.
The phrase is used to state your age. In Spanish, instead of using the verb "to be", you use the verb tener (to have) to express how old you are. For example, to say "he is ten" or "she is ten", you would use the form tiene.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tengo diez años literally translates to "I have ten years". This is because Spanish speakers use the verb tener (to have) rather than "to be" when discussing age.
Which one should you use?
In casual conversation, if the context of age is already established, you can shorten the phrase to tengo diez by omitting the word años.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the phrase Tengo diez añitos can be used to add a touch of cuteness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase tengo diez años uses the first-person singular form of the verb tener.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo djeθ aɲos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying soy diez años. English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) to state age, but in Spanish, you must use tener.
Did you know?
- While Spanish uses tener for age, it also uses this 'having' verb for feelings like hunger, thirst and cold. For example, saying 'I am hungry' uses the same logic as 'I have ten years'.
- If you accidentally use soy instead of tengo to state your age, a native speaker might think you are claiming your name or a nickname is the number ten.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, adding -ito to años to make añitos is not just for children, but can be used by adults to jokingly downplay their own age.
Examples in context
- Mamá, ¡ya tengo diez años!Mom, I'm already ten!
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? Yo tengo diez años.How old are you? I am ten.
Example conversation
Two children are meeting for the first time at a park.
- Sofía¿Cuántos años tienes, Mateo?How old are you, Mateo?
- MateoTengo diez años, ¿y tú?I am ten, and you?
- SofíaYo también tengo diez años.I am ten too.
- Mateo¡Que 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.
