Es mi cumpleaños.
It's my birthday.
When someone walks into the building, she hopes they've brought something for her, and cumpleaños means a single birthday even with its -s.
From Inside Man · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "birthday" in Spanish
el cumpleaños
nounmasculineplural: los cumpleañosshort form: el cumple
"Birthday" in Spanish is el cumpleaños. It ends in -s even for one birthday, because it's built from cumple and años, years. Friends often shorten it to el cumple, and the wish itself is ¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Hear "cumpleaños" in real movie scenes
One yes and one no. Each video starts and stops on that line.
No es mi cumpleaños.
It's not my birthday.
His secretary wants to spare him some work because she thinks it's his birthday, and he clears up the mix-up by putting no in front of es.
From Suits · Spanish audio
Birthday words and phrases
Six things you'll hear at any party.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | Happy birthday! |
| ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? | When is your birthday? |
| cumplir años | to have a birthday |
| la fiesta de cumpleaños | birthday party |
| el regalo de cumpleaños | birthday present |
| soplar las velas | to blow out the candles |
Tip: The cake changes name by country: la tarta in Spain, el pastel in Mexico and la torta in Argentina and Chile.
Grammar: el cumpleaños, los cumpleaños
Four points about a word that looks plural.
Singular with an -s
el cumpleaños, los cumpleaños. One birthday or ten, the word stays the same. Only the article shows the number.Two words in one
cumple, from cumplir (to complete), plus años (years). That's why cumplir años means to have a birthday.The age you turn
Use cumplir: Hoy cumplo treinta años. I turn thirty today. Mañana cumple seis. She turns six tomorrow.Giving the date
Mi cumpleaños es el 3 de mayo. Put el before the day number and de before the month.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
¡Es mi cumpleaños!
It's my birthday!
No es mi cumpleaños.
It's not my birthday.
¿No sabes que es mi cumpleaños?
Don't you know it's my birthday?
Mi cumpleaños es durante las fiestas.
My birthday is during the festival.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗el cumpleaño
✓el cumpleaños
The -s comes from años, so it stays even when you mean one birthday.
✗Hoy es mi cumpleaños treinta
✓Hoy cumplo treinta años
To say which age you're turning, use the verb cumplir.
✗mi fecha de nacimiento (at the party)
✓mi cumpleaños
Fecha de nacimiento is the date of birth on a form, year included. The yearly celebration is the cumpleaños.
Real conversation: the birthday girl
A short dialog at a children's party next door.
You're at a birthday party at your neighbors' house. The birthday girl runs over to you.
¡Hola! ¡Es mi cumpleaños!
Hi! It's my birthday!
¿Y cuántos años tienes?
And how old are you?
¡Tengo seis años! ¿Y tú?
I'm six! And you?
Your turn to answer
In the app you write the last reply in Spanish.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Cumpleaños is cumple plus años: the day you complete another year. Picture one candle on the cake for every año.
Questions about "birthday" in Spanish
How do you say birthday in Spanish?
El cumpleaños. In casual speech people shorten it to el cumple: ¿Vienes a mi cumple?
Why does cumpleaños end in s?
It's made of cumple and años, years, so the -s belongs to años. One birthday is still el cumpleaños.
How do you say "When is your birthday?" in Spanish?
¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? Answer with the date: Es el 10 de junio.
How do you say "I'm turning 25" in Spanish?
Cumplo veinticinco años. Spanish uses cumplir for the age you reach on your birthday.
