Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¡Que cumplas tus metas este año!

Starting a sentence with Que followed by a verb in the subjunctive (like cumplas) is a common way to express a wish for someone else. It translates to "May you..." or "I hope that you..." It is actually a shortened way of saying "I hope that..." (Espero que...).

Why is the verb cumplas instead of cumples?

Because this sentence expresses a hope or wish, it requires the subjunctive mood. For the regular -ir verb cumplir, the familiar "you" (tú) form in the present subjunctive uses an -as ending, making it cumplas. The regular present tense (cumples) would just state a fact: "You achieve."

Doesn't cumplir mean "to have a birthday"?

It is used for birthdays (cumplir años, literally "to complete years"), but its core meaning is "to fulfill", "to complete", or "to achieve". When you pair it with metas (goals), it means to fulfill or achieve those goals.

Are metas and objetivos the same thing?

Yes, they are very similar and often used interchangeably for "goals" or "objectives". Meta literally means "finish line", so it has a great feeling of reaching the end of a journey, making it a perfect word for annual goals!