Meaning
Celebrating the anniversary of birth.
Cultural Background
The 'birthday person' (festeggiato) is usually the one who pays for the round of drinks or brings a cake to the office. It's seen as a way to share your good fortune of reaching another year. The tradition of 'tirare le orecchie' (pulling ears) is still very common. Friends pull the earlobes of the person making the years as many times as their age. In some southern regions, birthdays are celebrated with massive family dinners that can last for hours, often featuring specific regional pastries like 'cannoli' or 'cassata' if in Sicily. It is considered bad luck to wish someone 'Auguri' before their actual birthday. Always wait until the day of, or after.
Use 'Ne'
When someone asks your age on your birthday, always answer with 'Ne faccio...' to sound like a native.
Avoid 'Avere'
Never say 'Ho un compleanno' to mean it's your birthday. It sounds like you possess a birthday object.
Meaning
Celebrating the anniversary of birth.
Use 'Ne'
When someone asks your age on your birthday, always answer with 'Ne faccio...' to sound like a native.
Avoid 'Avere'
Never say 'Ho un compleanno' to mean it's your birthday. It sounds like you possess a birthday object.
The Pastry Rule
If you tell your Italian friends 'Faccio gli anni oggi,' be prepared to buy them a coffee or a treat!
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'fare'.
Oggi mia madre ______ 60 anni.
The subject is 'mia madre' (third person singular), so the correct form is 'fa'.
Choose the most natural way to ask a friend about their birthday.
Come chiedi a un amico quando è il suo compleanno?
'Quando fai gli anni?' is the most common and idiomatic way to ask this in casual Italian.
Complete the dialogue using the particle 'ne'.
A: Quanti anni fai oggi? B: ______ faccio ventidue.
The particle 'ne' is used to replace 'di anni' in the answer.
Match the phrase to the correct register.
Match 'Il Presidente compie 80 anni' with its register.
The verb 'compiere' is used in formal or journalistic contexts.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Fare vs. Compiere
Practice Bank
4 exercisesOggi mia madre ______ 60 anni.
The subject is 'mia madre' (third person singular), so the correct form is 'fa'.
Come chiedi a un amico quando è il suo compleanno?
'Quando fai gli anni?' is the most common and idiomatic way to ask this in casual Italian.
A: Quanti anni fai oggi? B: ______ faccio ventidue.
The particle 'ne' is used to replace 'di anni' in the answer.
Match 'Il Presidente compie 80 anni' with its register.
The verb 'compiere' is used in formal or journalistic contexts.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it's only for people. For companies, use 'festeggiare l'anniversario' or 'compiere X anni di attività'.
No, it's informal/neutral. It's perfectly fine for everyday speech, but not for a formal newspaper article.
'Fare' is casual and spoken; 'compiere' is formal and written. They mean the same thing.
You say 'Tanti auguri!' or 'Buon compleanno!'. You don't use 'fare' in the greeting itself.
Because you are 'making' the years you have lived. It's a plural concept of time.
It's used in some regions, but 'fare gli anni' is much more common and standard.
Use 'avere' for your current age (Ho 20 anni). Use 'fare' for the act of turning that age (Oggi faccio 21 anni).
It's always 'fare gli anni'. 'Farsi gli anni' is not a standard expression.
Ask 'Quanti anni fai?' or 'Quanti ne fai?'.
Yes, it is a standard expression recognized and used from Milan to Sicily.
Related Phrases
compiere gli anni
synonymTo complete years (formal)
festeggiare il compleanno
similarTo celebrate the birthday
tanti auguri
builds onBest wishes
spegnere le candeline
specialized formTo blow out the candles
