Why Cumplir Is the Verb of Following Through
Cumplir is the verb of finishing what is expected: keeping a promise, meeting a requirement, reaching a dream. It also does something English never does: it is how you say you turn a year older. It is a regular -ir verb.
Learn the six chunks below and you will use it for birthdays, promises, work and anniversaries.
Pattern 1: Cumplir años — "To turn (age) / have a birthday"
Spanish says you complete years: cumplo treinta años means "I turn thirty." Compare it with tengo treinta años ("I am thirty"); see [Tener] Chunks.
- Mañana cumplo treinta años. — I turn thirty tomorrow.
- ¿Cuántos años cumples? — How old are you turning?
- Mi hija cumple cinco años el sábado. — My daughter turns five on Saturday.
Chunk to learn:
Cumplir + [número] + años / ¿Cuántos años cumples?
Pattern 2: Cumplir una promesa — "To keep a promise"
Use cumplir with una promesa, la palabra or lo prometido. Used alone, no cumplió means someone failed to deliver.
- Siempre cumple sus promesas. — He always keeps his promises.
- Cumplí mi palabra. — I kept my word.
- Prometió venir y no cumplió. — He promised to come and didn't deliver.
Chunk to learn:
Cumplir una promesa / Cumplir la palabra / Cumplir lo prometido
Pattern 3: Cumplir con… — "To comply with / fulfill"
Use con for the duty, requirement or schedule you meet. It is the chunk for work, school and rules. For the obligation itself, see [Tener Que] Chunks.
- Tengo que cumplir con el horario. — I have to stick to the schedule.
- Cumple con todos los requisitos. — He meets all the requirements.
- No cumplió con lo prometido. — He didn't do what he promised.
Chunk to learn:
Cumplir con + [requisito / horario / obligación]
Pattern 4: Cumplir un sueño — "To make a dream come true"
Use cumplir for dreams, goals and wishes. The reflexive se cumplió says that something came true by itself.
- Cumplí mi sueño de vivir en Madrid. — I fulfilled my dream of living in Madrid.
- Este año quiero cumplir mis metas. — This year I want to reach my goals.
- Por fin se cumplió su deseo. — His wish finally came true.
Chunk to learn:
Cumplir un sueño / Cumplir una meta / Se cumplió…
Pattern 5: Por cumplir — "Just for show / out of obligation"
A very natural chunk for doing something only because you feel you must. Cumplir con el expediente is its sharper cousin: doing the bare minimum. For gifts and messages, see [Mandar] Chunks.
- Fui a la reunión solo por cumplir. — I went to the meeting just to be polite.
- Les mandé un regalo por cumplir. — I sent them a gift out of obligation.
- Hizo el trabajo para cumplir con el expediente. — He did the job just to tick the box.
Chunk to learn:
Por cumplir / Cumplir con el expediente
Pattern 6: Se cumple un año — "It has been a year (today)"
Use se cumple for anniversaries and deadlines that arrive exactly on that day. It is the chunk for news, social media and speeches. For more on time passing, see [Pasar] Chunks.
- Hoy se cumple un año de la boda. — Today it's a year since the wedding.
- Mañana se cumple el plazo. — The deadline falls tomorrow.
- Se cumplen diez años desde que llegué. — It's ten years since I arrived.
Chunk to learn:
Se cumple + [un año / el plazo] / Se cumplen + [años]
Cumplir vs. Tener (Age)
Tener says how old you are: tengo treinta años. Cumplir says how old you turn on your birthday: cumplo treinta años. Spanish uses cumplir años for the birthday itself, and the noun is el cumpleaños.
Start with mañana cumplo… and siempre cumple sus promesas. You will use both within a week of meeting new people.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.