alguien es viejo
/alɡjen es bjexo/from spelling rules
The phrase for 'someone is old' in Spanish is alguien es viejo.
The phrase is used to state that a person has lived for many years.
Which one should you use?
The phrase alguien es viejo is a blunt way to describe age and can sound impolite depending on the context. For a more polite and respectful way to say someone is old or an elderly person, use alguien es mayor.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the person being referred to is female, the adjective must change to the feminine form alguien es vieja.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a person viejo can be an affectionate term for a parent or spouse, despite its literal meaning of 'old'.
- The Spanish word es is a distant relative of the Sanskrit word अस्ति, as both originate from the same Proto-Indo-European root for 'to be'.
- The word viejo descends from the Late Latin veclus, which itself evolved from the diminutive form vetulus, meaning 'little old man'.
Examples in context
- El señor Ramírez es de avanzada edadMr. Ramirez is of advanced age
- La profesora García tiene muchos añosProfessor Garcia is old
- Mi abuelo es viejoMy grandfather is old
- El señor Rodríguez es mayorcitoMr. Rodriguez is quite old
- Carlos ya está entrado en añosCarlos is well into his years
- El señor López es de avanzada edadMr. López is of advanced age
- No digas que alguien es viejo.Don't say that someone is old.
- Él cree que alguien es viejo.He thinks that someone is old.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are talking about their grandfather.
- AlejandroMi abuelo ya es muy mayor.My grandfather is already very old.
- Sofía¿Crees que alguien es viejo a los ochenta?Do you think someone is old at eighty?
- AlejandroSí, creo que alguien es viejo a esa edad.Yes, I think someone is old at that age.
- SofíaYo creo que depende de la persona.I think it depends on the person.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alguien, es, viejo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
