Learn Italian: Oggi è il compleanno di mia zia: auguri! - Today is my aunt's birthday: best wishes!

Oggi è il compleanno di mia zia: auguri!

Today is my aunt's birthday: best wishes!

Breakdown of Oggi è il compleanno di mia zia: auguri!

Questions & Answers about Oggi è il compleanno di mia zia: auguri!

Why does it say il compleanno di mia zia instead of "mia zia's compleanno"?

In Italian, there is no apostrophe-s ('s) to show possession. Instead, you always use the word di (of). So, you literally say "the birthday of my aunt".

Why is it just mia zia and not la mia zia? Don't possessives usually need words like il or la before them?

You are right that possessive words usually take an article, like la mia macchina (my car). However, there is a special rule for family: when talking about a singular, close family member (like zia, madre, or fratello), you drop the il or la. That is why it is simply mia zia.

Auguri is translated as "best wishes" here. Do Italians use this to say "happy birthday"?

Yes! Auguri (or tanti auguri) is the most common way to say "happy birthday" in Italy. You can also use it for other celebrations like holidays or to say "congratulations". It literally translates to "wishes".

Does Oggi è work the same way as English to state the day or date?

Absolutely! You can use Oggi è (Today is) exactly as you would in English for days of the week, like Oggi è lunedì (Today is Monday), or for dates, like Oggi è il cinque maggio (Today is May fifth).