Il mio compleanno
/il ˈmi.o kom.pleˈan.no/word by word
The English phrase "my birthday" is Il mio compleanno in Italian.
Il mio compleanno is used to refer to the anniversary of the day a person was born.
What does it mean word for word?
The word compleanno (birthday) is derived from the verb compiere (to complete or fulfill) and anno (year), so it literally means "completing a year".
Which one should you use?
While Il mio compleanno refers to the day itself, you should use La mia festa di compleanno if you are specifically referring to a birthday party.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because compleanno is a masculine singular noun, both the definite article il and the possessive adjective mio must also be in the masculine singular form.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When using this phrase as a subject or object, do not omit the definite article as you might in English. You must include Il (for example, È il mio compleanno).
Did you know?
- In Italy, people often say Tanti auguri to celebrate a birthday, which means 'many wishes' and avoids using the word compleanno entirely.
- The word compleanno is not an original Italian creation but is a partial calque of the Spanish word cumpleaños.
- The verb used to build the word for birthday, compiere, is also the verb used when someone is fulfilling a prophecy or a specific mission.
Examples in context
- È il mio compleanno.It's my birthday.This sentence is useful for stating that it is your birthday.Tatoeba #3870116 by Guybrush88, translation #2249098 by CK
- È il mio compleanno!It's my birthday!Tatoeba #8912389 by Guybrush88, translation #8912385 by DemonicSatori
- Non è il mio compleanno.It's not my birthday.Tatoeba #2714826 by Guybrush88, translation #2713639 by CK
- Buongiorno, vorrei prenotare un tavolo per il mio compleanno.Good morning, I would like to book a table for my birthday.
- 106 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are planning a small celebration at a café.
- LorenzoIl mio compleanno è domani.My birthday is tomorrow.
- MartinaDavvero? Auguri, Lorenzo!Really? Happy birthday, Lorenzo!
- LorenzoGrazie, Martina. Vuoi festeggiare insieme?Thanks, Martina. Do you want to celebrate together?
- MartinaCertamente, mi farebbe molto piacere.Certainly, I would really like to.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (il, mio, compleanno) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries compleanno, il, mio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
