cumpleaños
“cumpleaños” means “birthday” in Spanish (The anniversary of the day someone was born.).
birthday
Also: anniversary
📝 In Action
¡Feliz cumpleaños!
A1Happy birthday!
¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
A1When is your birthday?
Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de mayo.
A1My birthday is on the fifth of May.
Vamos a celebrar su cumpleaños con una gran fiesta.
A2We are going to celebrate his/her birthday with a big party.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cumpleaños
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly says 'It was a fun birthday'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
This word is a combination of two other words! It comes from 'cumple' (from the verb 'cumplir', which means 'to complete' or 'to achieve') and 'años' (which means 'years'). So, 'cumpleaños' literally means 'year-completer'!
First recorded: Around the 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'cumpleaños' end in 's' if it can mean just one birthday?
It's because the word is formed from 'cumplir' (to complete) + 'años' (years). The 'years' part is plural. Think of the word as a single, unchanging unit. You show if it's one or many with the words around it: 'un cumpleaños' (one birthday), 'dos cumpleaños' (two birthdays).
What's the difference between 'cumpleaños' and 'aniversario'?
'Cumpleaños' is specifically for the day you were born. 'Aniversario' is for any other yearly celebration, like a wedding anniversary ('aniversario de bodas') or the anniversary of a historical event.