mein Geburtstag ist
The English phrase "my birthday is" is translated into German as mein Geburtstag ist.
This phrase is used to introduce the date on which a person was born.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mein (my), Geburtstag (birthday) and ist (is).
How does it change in a sentence?
When you specify a precise date including the day and month, you must use the preposition am instead of im. For example, when using am with a date, the ordinal number used for the day (such as ersten) must take the -en ending.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use in dem or im when referring to a specific date. Instead, you must use am for a specific day, such as am 10. Mai.
Did you know?
- In Germany, it is considered very bad luck to wish someone a happy birthday before the actual date, so you should never say Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag early.
- In traditional German culture, the person whose Geburtstag it is often brings a cake to their colleagues at work or classmates at school, rather than receiving them.
- While English speakers often use 'my birthday is' to state their birth date, Germans might simply say Ich habe am [date] Geburtstag, which literally means 'I have birthday on [date]'.
Examples in context
- Mein Geburtstag ist heute.My birthday is today.This sentence is useful for saying that your birthday falls on the current day.Tatoeba #8244477 by Luiaard, translation #6273251 by CK
- Mein Geburtstag ist im Juli.My birthday is in July.This sentence is useful for stating your birthday occurs within the month of July.Tatoeba #908091 by Esperantostern, translation #885486 by CN
- Mein Geburtstag ist im Oktober.My birthday is in October.This sentence is useful for stating your birthday occurs within the month of October.Tatoeba #10053260 by wolfgangth, translation #3821846 by CK
- Ich habe am 12. Juli Geburtstag.I have my birthday on July 12th.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are talking about their upcoming birthdays.
- LauraWann hast du Geburtstag?When is your birthday?
- FelixMein Geburtstag ist am zwölften Mai.My birthday is on May twelfth.
- LauraOh, das ist bald!Oh, that is soon!
- FelixJa, ich freue mich sehr.Yes, I am looking forward to it very much.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
