mi cumpleaños
/mi kumpleaɲos/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for "my birthday" is mi cumpleaños.
mi cumpleaños refers to the anniversary of the day a person was born.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cumpleaños is a compound of cumplir (to complete or fulfill) and años (years), literally meaning "completes years".
How does it change in a sentence?
Even when referring to a single birthday, the word cumpleaños is always used in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/mi kumpleaɲos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly think mi cumple is an error for "my birthday", but it is actually a very common informal way to say it.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase 'mi cumpleaños' is often accompanied by the tradition of 'la mordida', where the birthday person's face is pushed into the cake.
- While mi cumpleaños is the standard term, some speakers use the phrase día de santo to celebrate their name day, which is the feast day of the saint they are named after.
- In some Latin American countries, a girl's 15th birthday is called quinceañera, a massive rite of passage that is often more significant than an 18th or 21st birthday.
Examples in context
- No es mi cumpleaños.It's not my birthday.This sentence is useful for practicing the negation of the phrase.Tatoeba #3147753 by Shishir, translation #2713639 by CK
- Él olvidó mi cumpleaños.He forgot my birthday.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone forgot the date.Tatoeba #2117318 by Shishir, translation #1934773 by Spamster
- Se aproxima mi cumpleaños.My birthday is coming soon.This sentence is useful for stating that the date is approaching.Tatoeba #398676 by catakaoe, translation #31606 by CK
- Hoy es mi cumpleaños.Today is my birthday.
- Estoy muy emocionado/a porque mañana es el día de mi cumpleaños.I am very excited because tomorrow is the day of my birthday.
- ¡Vamos a salir a celebrar mi cumple!We're going out to celebrate my birthday!
- ¡Hoy es mi día! ¡Feliz cumpleaños para mí!Today is my day! Happy birthday to me!
- ¡Estoy muy emocionado/a porque el próximo lunes es mi cumpleaños!I'm very excited because next Monday is my birthday!
- Este año voy a organizar una fiesta en mi casa para celebrar mi cumple.This year, I'm going to throw a party at my house to celebrate my birthday.
- Mi cumple está cerca, y me encantaría que vinieras a celebrarlo conmigo.My birthday is coming up, and I would love for you to celebrate it with me.
- ¡Ya llegó mi día! ¡Feliz cumpleaños a mí!My day has arrived! Happy birthday to me!
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about upcoming plans.
- ElenaMañana es mi cumpleaños.Tomorrow is my birthday.
- Mateo¡Feliz cumpleaños, Elena!Happy birthday, Elena!
- ElenaGracias, Mateo. ¿Quieres venir a cenar?Thanks, Mateo. Do you want to come to dinner?
- MateoClaro, me encantaría ir.Sure, I would love to go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
