Celebrate birthdays around the world with our collection of ways to say "Happy Birthday" in various languages.
From Spanish to Mandarin, we've got you covered with the most popular versions of the saying Happy Birthday. Find even more ideas with our happy birthday quotes generator.
How to say or write Happy Birthday in fifty different languages:
English: "Happy birthday"
Spanish: "Feliz cumpleaños"
French: "Joyeux anniversaire"
German: "Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag"
Italian: "Buon compleanno"
Portuguese: "Feliz aniversário"
Chinese (Mandarin): "生日快乐"
Arabic: "عيد ميلاد سعيد"
Russian: "С днем рождения"
Japanese: "お誕生日おめでとうございます"
Korean: "생일 축하합니다"
Dutch: "Gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag"
Hindi: "जन्मदिन की शुभकामनाएं"
Bengali: "জন্মদিনের শুভেচ্ছা"
Greek: "Χρόνια Πολλά"
Turkish: "Doğum günün kutlu olsun"
Thai: "สุขสันต์วันเกิด"
Malay: "Selamat ulang tahun"
Polish: "Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin"
Danish: "Tillykke med fødselsdagen"
Swedish: "Grattis på födelsedagen"
Norwegian: "Gratulerer med dagen"
Finnish: "Hyvää syntymäpäivää"
Indonesian: "Selamat ulang tahun"
Hungarian: "Boldog születésnapot"
Czech: "Všechno nejlepší k narozeninám"
Slovak: "Všetko najlepšie k narodeninám"
Croatian: "Sretan rođendan"
Serbian: "Srecan rodjendan"
Slovenian: "Vse najboljše ob rojstnem dnevu"
Romanian: "La multi ani"
Bulgarian: "Честит рожден ден"
Lithuanian: "Sveikinu su gimtadieniu"
Latvian: "Daudz laimes dzimšanas dienā"
Estonian: "Palju õnne sünnipäevaks"
Icelandic: "Til hamingju með afmæli
Urdu: "زادے کی شاندار تعطیلات"
Persian: "تولدت مبارک"
Tagalog: "Maligayang kaarawan"
Vietnamese: "Chúc mừng sinh nhật"
Filipino: "Maligayang kaarawan"
Nepali: "जन्मदिनको शुभकामना"
Punjabi: "ਜਨਮਦਿਨ ਦਾ ਹੁਣਾਂ ਬਧਾ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਕਾਮਨਾ"
Marathi: "जन्मदिनाच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा"
Gujarati: "જન્મદિવસના શુભેચ્છા"
Tamil: "பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்துக்கள்"
Telugu: "జన్మదినాశుభాకాంక్షలు"
Kannada: "ಜನ್ಮದಿನ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು"
Malayalam: "ജന്മദിനാശംസകൾ"
Sinhalese: "උපන් දිනයේ ස්තුතියි"
Important things to consider when saying 'happy birthday' in a different language:
It's important to note that not all translations of "happy birthday" are direct translations. Some languages may have different ways of expressing the sentiment of wishing someone a happy birthday.
For example, in some cultures, it is traditional to give a gift or say a prayer on someone's birthday, while in others, it may be more common to sing a birthday song. So it's always good to be familiar with the cultural context and customs.
Did you know that some languages have different variations of happy birthday, for instance, in Spanish, "Feliz cumpleaños" is the most common way of wishing happy birthday, but you might find variations like "Feliz aniversario" or "Felicidades en tu dia" which are also used.
It's also worth noting that some languages are not written in the Roman alphabet, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, so it may be more difficult to read and pronounce the translations if you are not familiar with those scripts.
In any case, it's always a thoughtful and kind gesture to wish someone a happy birthday in their native language, even if it's just a simple phrase. It shows that you care enough to make an effort to communicate in their language and that you respect their culture.
Formal vs Informal
Another important aspect to consider when wishing someone a happy birthday in a different language is the level of formality. Different languages have different levels of formality, and it's important to use the appropriate level of formality when wishing someone a happy birthday.
For example, in English, "happy birthday" can be used in both formal and informal situations, but in some languages like German, you have different phrases for formal and informal situations, "Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag" is formal, and "Alles Gute zum Geburtstag" is informal.
It Depends on the Relationship
Some languages also have different ways of wishing someone a happy birthday depending on the relationship between the speaker and the person whose birthday it is.
For example, in French, you would use "Joyeux anniversaire" for a friend, "Bon anniversaire" for a colleague or acquaintance, and "Meilleurs vœux" for a more formal or distant relationship.
It's also worth noting that some languages have different ways of wishing a happy birthday based on the age of the person. For example, in some cultures, it's customary to say something different for someone who's turning 18, 21, 40, 60, and so on.
In any case, if you're not sure of the appropriate way to wish someone a happy birthday in their language, it's always best to ask a native speaker or do some research to ensure that you're using the correct phrase and level of formality.
Looking for more ideas? Explore our compilation of 100+ short birthday wishes
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