estás viejo
/estas bjexo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "your old" is translated into Spanish as estás viejo.
The phrase estás viejo is used to tell someone that they are no longer young.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between estás viejo and eres viejo. The latter, eres viejo, is used to describe being old as a permanent characteristic of a person, whereas estás viejo implies a state of being or a recent change in condition.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use tu viejo to mean "you are old". In Spanish, tu viejo means "your old [one/thing]" or is used as slang for "your old man" (father).
Did you know?
- In certain social circles, calling a partner vieja or viejo functions like 'honey' or 'dear' and is not an insult about their age.
- The word viejo descends from the Late Latin veclus, which evolved from the Classical Latin vetulus.
- In some Latin American countries, the phrase mi viejo is a common and affectionate way to refer to one's father, regardless of his actual age.
Examples in context
- Sr. González, ¿cuál es su edad?Mr. González, what is your age?
- Disculpe, ¿cuántos años tiene usted?Excuse me, how many years do you have?
- ¡Hola María! ¿Cuántos años tienes?Hi María! How old are you?
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Ana! ¿Cuántos años cumples?Happy birthday, Ana! How old are you turning?
- Ya estás viejo para correr maratones.You are too old to run marathons now.
- No te quejes, pero ya estás viejo.Don't complain, but you are old now.
- Siento decírtelo, pero estás viejo para estas cosas.I am sorry to tell you, but you are too old for these things.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are joking about their age while looking at old photos.
- DanielMira esta foto, ¡estás viejo!Look at this photo, you're old!
- SofíaNo es verdad, solo es el cabello.It's not true, it's just the hair.
- DanielAdmítelo, ya estás viejo, Daniel.Admit it, you're old now, Daniel.
- SofíaEstá bien, me rindo.Alright, I give up.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries viejo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
