c'est quand ton anniversaire ?
In French, "when is your birthday?" is translated as c'est quand ton anniversaire ?
This phrase is used to ask someone for the date of their birth. While there are more formal ways to ask this, such as Quelle est votre date de naissance? (What is your date of birth?) or the polite Puis-je connaître votre date de naissance? (May I know your date of birth?), the version c'est quand ton anniversaire ? is a relaxed way to ask among friends or peers.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase c'est quand ton anniversaire ? literally translates to "it is when your birthday?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
C'est quand ton anniversaire ? is a relaxed and friendly way to ask the question, making it suitable for spoken French among friends or peers. For more formal situations, you should use Quelle est votre date de naissance? or the more polite Puis-je connaître votre date de naissance?
How does it change in a sentence?
While c'est quand ton anniversaire ? is common in colloquial spoken French, the more grammatically standard way to phrase this question is quand est ton anniversaire ?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this question, a standard way to respond is by using the structure Mon anniversaire est le [date], where you follow with the specific day and month.
Did you know?
- In France, it is common to celebrate a fête which is not a birthday, but the feast day of the saint whose name you bear.
- In Quebec, you will often hear Bonne fête used for a birthday, whereas in France, this phrase is used almost exclusively for a name day.
- The word anniversaire contains a hidden reference to the cycle of the year. It is derived from the Latin word vertō, meaning 'to turn', suggesting the year 'turns' or revolves back to that date.
Examples in context
- C'est quand ton anniversaire ?When is your birthday?
- Dis-moi, c'est quand ton anniversaire ?Tell me, when is your birthday?
- On veut savoir, c'est quand ton anniversaire ?We want to know, when is your birthday?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anniversaire, c'est, quand, ton, CC BY-SA 4.0.
