¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
To ask 'when is your birthday?' in Spanish, you can use ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
What does it mean word for word?
The word cumpleaños is a compound formed from cumplir (to fulfill or complete) and años (years), which literally translates to 'completing years'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the question ¿Cuándo cumples años? is used frequently.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cumpleaños is invariable in number, meaning it remains the same whether you are referring to one birthday or multiple birthdays. Use ¿Cuándo es su cumpleaños? when addressing someone formally.
Did you know?
- The tradition of la mordida involves the birthday person taking a bite of the cake before others push their face into it.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the most important birthday is the Quinceañera, marking a girl's transition to womanhood at fifteen.
- The English word 'cue' is a distant relative of the Spanish word cuándo, as both trace back to the same Latin roots.
Examples in context
- Hola Ana, ¿cuándo es tu cumpleaños? Me gustaría preparar una sorpresa para ti.Hello Ana, when is your birthday? I'd like to prepare a surprise for you.
- Mi cumpleaños es el diez de mayo.My birthday is May 10th.
- Oye, ¿cuándo es tu cumpleaños?Hey, when is your birthday?
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about party planning.
- ElenaMateo, ¿cuándo es tu cumpleaños?Mateo, when is your birthday?
- MateoEs el quince de mayo.It is May 15th.
- Elena¡Qué bien! Quiero celebrar contigo.That's great! I want to celebrate with you.
- MateoMuchas gracias, Elena.Thank you very much, Elena.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cumpleaños, cuándo, es, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
