il mio compleanno è
The Italian phrase for "my birthday is" is il mio compleanno è.
This phrase is used to introduce the date of the day you were born.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are stating a specific date, you must use the definite article il before the number, such as in il mio compleanno è il… (my birthday is the…).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use a preposition like "in" for specific dates, but in Italian, you should use il followed by the number to indicate the specific day.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the birthday celebration is often focused on the person born paying for the treats or drinks for their friends.
- The word compleanno is a clever combination of the Italian words for 'to complete' and 'year' (anno), effectively saying your birthday is the day you 'complete a year'.
- In some Italian dialects, such as Sicilian, the word for 'the' can be the exact same word used for 'he' or 'that', unlike the distinct forms found in standard Italian.
Examples in context
- Il mio compleanno è a novembre.My birthday is in November.This sentence is useful for stating which month your birthday falls in.Tatoeba #11869263 by Guybrush88, translation #251416 by CN
- Il mio compleanno è il 22 marzo.My birthday is on March 22.This sentence is useful for stating the specific date of your birthday.Tatoeba #384840 by Pharamp, translation #251418 by CN
- Il mio compleanno è vicino al tuo.My birthday is close to yours.This sentence is useful for comparing the proximity of your birthday to someone else's.Tatoeba #5395015 by Guybrush88, translation #251419 by CK
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are chatting about their upcoming celebrations.
- MartinaQuando festeggiamo?When are we celebrating?
- LorenzoIl mio compleanno è il dieci maggio.My birthday is on May tenth.
- MartinaDavvero? Il mio compleanno è lo stesso giorno!Really? My birthday is the same day!
- LorenzoChe coincidenza, Martina!What a coincidence, Martina!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries compleanno, il, mio, è, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
