cuando sea grande
/kwando sea ɡɾande/from spelling rules
To say "when I grow up" in Spanish, use cuando sea grande.
cuando sea grande is what children say when they talk about the job or life they want as adults.
What does it mean word for word?
cuando means when, sea means I am or I will be and grande means big or grown up.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain children often use a phrase with the word for older instead of grande.
How does it change in a sentence?
sea is the subjunctive of the verb to be. Spanish uses the subjunctive after cuando when it refers to a time that has not happened yet.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the future tense right after cuando. Keep sea.
Did you know?
- Spanish lacks a single verb that perfectly matches the English 'to grow up', which is why it uses the phrase ser grande meaning 'to be big'.
- The word grande can describe both a child's physical size and a person's status as 'great' or 'influential', creating a link between physical growth and social stature.
- The word grande is a direct cognate of the English word 'grand', meaning both words share the same Latin root for greatness or size.
Examples in context
- Quiero ser rey cuando sea grande.When I grow up, I want to be a king.Quiero ser rey cuando sea grande shows the usual pattern of a child naming a dream.Tatoeba #3854864 by cueyayotl, translation #1337 by CK
- Viajaré por todo el mundo cuando sea grande.I will travel the whole world when I grow up.
- Quiero trabajar en un hospital cuando sea grande.I want to work in a hospital when I grow up.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two children are talking about their future jobs.
- ElenaQuiero ser doctora cuando sea grande.I want to be a doctor when I grow up.
- Javier¡Qué bien! Yo quiero ser astronauta.That's great! I want to be an astronaut.
- ElenaViajarás mucho cuando seas grande, Javier.You will travel a lot when you grow up, Javier.
- JavierSí, visitaré todas las estrellas.Yes, I will visit all the stars.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuando, grande, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
