Voy a regalar algo importante a mi primo cuando cumpla años.

I am going to give something important to my cousin when he has his birthday.

Breakdown of Voy a regalar algo importante a mi primo cuando cumpla años.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• cuando: when
• a: to
• ir: to go
• importante: important
• el primo: the cousin
• regalar: to give (as a gift)
• algo: something

Questions & Answers about Voy a regalar algo importante a mi primo cuando cumpla años.

Why do we say cumpla años instead of cumplo años or cumple años?

In Spanish, when referring to a future event introduced by cuando (when it indicates something that hasn’t happened yet), you typically need the subjunctive form. So, cumpla is the present subjunctive of cumplir. We use this form to express that the birthday event is not taking place now, but rather sometime in the future.

What is the difference between regalar and dar?

Both mean “to give,” but regalar often has the connotation of giving a gift—something special or formal—while dar can be more general. For example, dar un lápiz could simply be handing someone a pencil, whereas regalar un lápiz suggests a more intentional or thoughtful act of gifting that pencil.

Is there a reason it’s a mi primo instead of para mi primo?

Yes. When we use a mi primo, we are specifying the person who will receive the gift. It’s common in Spanish to mark the indirect object (the person you are giving something to) with a. If you said para mi primo, it would still be understandable, but para slightly shifts the nuance to “for my cousin”—emphasizing who the gift is intended for, rather than who is receiving it at that moment.

Could I use a future tense form like regalaré instead of voy a regalar?

Absolutely—regalaré is the simple future form of regalar and is perfectly correct. However, voy a regalar (using ir a + infinitive) is very common in everyday Latin American Spanish. It’s often preferred in spoken language to emphasize the immediate future or something you’ve already decided to do.

Why do Spanish speakers often prefer voy a + infinitive for the future?

It’s partly about informality and immediacy. The ir a + infinitive construction is one of the most common ways to talk about the near future in everyday conversation. While regalaré (the simple future) can be used as well, voy a regalar often sounds more natural in casual speech and helps convey that the plan is already set.