Spanish · People & Family

"Birthday" in Spanish: cumpleaños

el cumpleaños

Say it: koom-pleh-AH-nyohsmasculine · el cumpleañosnoun/kum.pleˈa.ɲos/

A birthday is el cumpleaños (koom-pleh-AH-nyohs). Cumpleaños looks plural, but it means one birthday. Wish someone feliz cumpleaños.

Greeting

¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Happy birthday!
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How to pronounce cumpleaños

Say it

koom-pleh-AH-nyohs

/kum.pleˈa.ɲos/

Say koom-pleh-AH-nyohs. Stress AH. The ñ sounds like ny in "canyon."

"Birthday" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
el cumpleañosthe birthday

Default noun.

feliz cumpleañoshappy birthday

The usual wish.

mi cumpleañosmy birthday

Possessive.

fiesta de cumpleañosbirthday party

The celebration.

How to use cumpleaños in real life

  1. 1Greeting

    ¡Feliz cumpleaños!

    Happy birthday!

    Standard wish with cumpleaños.

  2. 2Asking the date

    ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?

    When is your birthday?

    Date question with cumpleaños.

  3. 3Party plans

    La fiesta de cumpleaños es sábado.

    The birthday party is Saturday.

    Party phrase using cumpleaños.

Mistakes English speakers make with cumpleaños

Incorrect: La cumpleaños es hoy.

Correct: El cumpleaños es hoy.

Cumpleaños is masculine: el cumpleaños.

Incorrect: Feliz birthday.

Correct: Feliz cumpleaños.

Use cumpleaños, not English birthday.

Good to know

Latin American cumpleaños parties often include cake and candles. Many regions sing Las mañanitas too.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Planning a birthday cake

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Qué pastel quieres para tu cumpleaños?

    What cake do you want for your birthday?

  2. You

    Para mi cumpleaños quiero chocolate.

    For my birthday I want chocolate.

  3. ChatPal

    Perfecto. Yo lo pido mañana.

    Perfect. I'll order it tomorrow.

  4. You

    Gracias. Invito a seis amigos.

    Thanks. I'm inviting six friends.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Birthday" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Birthday" in Spanish

Is cumpleaños masculine or feminine?

Masculine: el cumpleaños, mi cumpleaños.

Why does cumpleaños look plural?

The spelling is fixed. It still means one birthday.

How do I say happy birthday?

Feliz cumpleaños.

How do I ask someone's birthday?

¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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