año bisiesto
/ˌaɲo biˈsjesto/masculine
The English phrase 'leap year' is translated into Spanish as año bisiesto. If unsure, use año bisiesto. Wiktionary also lists bisiesto.
Meaning: year in the Julian or Gregorian calendars with an intercalary day added to February (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| año bisiesto | /ˌaɲo biˈsjesto/ | masculine |
| bisiesto | /biˈsjesto/ | masculine |
The term refers to a year in the Julian or Gregorian calendars that includes an intercalary day added to February.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective bisiesto is derived from the word 'bis', meaning 'twice', which refers to the leap day.
Which one should you use?
You can use the full noun phrase año bisiesto or, in many contexts, the noun 'año' is omitted and the adjective bisiesto is used alone to refer to a leap year.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, both the noun 'año' and the adjective bisiesto must take the plural ending -s, resulting in años bisiestos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌaɲo biˈsjesto/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, people born on February 29 celebrate their birthday on February 28 or March 1 during non-leap years, but the legal age is usually calculated based on the calendar year.
- The word bisiesto is a direct descendant of the Latin bisextus, which specifically described the 'intercalary day' rather than the whole year.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuántos días tiene un año bisiesto?How many days are there in a leap year?This sentence is useful for asking how many days are in an año bisiesto.Tatoeba #1455035 by Espi, translation #1453842 by Eldad
- El próximo año bisiesto será en 2024.The next leap year will be in 2024.
- El calendario gregoriano incluye años intercalarios.The Gregorian calendar includes leap years.
- ¡Ah, sí! Este año es bisiesto, así que tenemos un día extra en febrero.Oh, yes! This year is a leap year, so we have an extra day in February.
- Este año es de 366 días porque es bisiesto.This year has 366 days because it is a leap year.
- El próximo año bisiesto será en 2028.The next leap year will be in 2028.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are discussing the calendar.
- LucíaFebrero tiene veintinueve días este año.February has twenty-nine days this year.
- DanielEs verdad, este es un año bisiesto.That's true, this is a leap year.
- Lucía¿Cada cuánto ocurre eso, Daniel?How often does that happen, Daniel?
- DanielPasa cada cuatro años.It happens every four years.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leap year” translations and entries año bisiesto, bisiesto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries año, bisiesto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
