Spanish word

cumpleaños

Pronunciation

IPA/kumpleˈaɲos/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbirthday

Example

¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?

When is your birthday?

Illustration for cumpleaños (birthday)

More examples

Mi hermana organizó una fiesta de cumpleaños para mí.

My sister organized a birthday party for me.

Core concept

A date on the calendar marked for celebrating someone's birth each year.

Common phrases

  • feliz cumpleaños

    happy birthday

  • fiesta de cumpleaños

    birthday party

  • regalo de cumpleaños

    birthday present

Similar words

fecha de nacimiento: Exact calendar date of a person's birth (day, month, year).
fiesta de cumpleaños: Gathering held to celebrate a birthday, often with food, games, and presents.
edad: Number of years since a person was born.
aniversario: Annual commemoration of the date when a past event occurred.

Definition in Spanish

Aniversario del nacimiento de una persona que se festeja cada año.

Word origin

Formed from the verb cumplir 'to complete/fulfill' and años 'years', literally the completing of another year and so the yearly anniversary of birth.

Usage tips

  • Both ¡Feliz cumpleaños! and ¡Felicidades! are common, with ¡Feliz cumpleaños! specifically for birthdays while ¡Felicidades! can be used for congratulations in other situations as well.

Related words

  • cumpleañerobirthday celebrantnoun

Word lists with this word