A birthday may just be one day out of the year, but it’s definitely one to celebrate! Whether you’re planning a birthday trip to another country or attending a party where the guest of honor speaks another language, knowing how to wish someone a happy birthday is a thoughtful way to express good wishes.
Use the guide below to say “Happy birthday” in different languages around the world. From Gefeliciteerd to Buon compleanno, you’ll learn how to pronounce international birthday greetings and discover common birthday customs around the world (including where it’s acceptable to pull the birthday person’s earlobes!).
Table of Contents
‘Happy birthday’ in 22 different languages
Do you know how to say “Happy birthday” in Spanish? What about Farsi, Hebrew, or Tagalog? Explore the most common ways to say “Happy birthday” in other languages in countries around the world.
| Language | “Happy Birthday” | Pronunciation |
| Arabic | عيد ميلاد سعيد (Eid milad saeid) | ay-EED mi-LAWD sahy-EED |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 生日快乐 (Shēngrì kuàilè) | SHUNG-ree KWAI-luh |
| Dutch | Gefeliciteerd | geh-feh-leh-see-TEE-erd |
| Farsi (Persian) | تولدت مبارک (Toldat mobarak) | tah-vah-LOH-det moo-bar-EK |
| French | Joyeux anniversaire | ZHWAH-yoo an-ee-vehr-SAHR |
| German | Alles Gute zum Geburtstag | AH-les goot-ah soom |
| Greek | Χρόνια Πολλά (Chrónia Pollá) | khro-NEE0-ah poh-LAH |
| Hebrew | יום הולדת שמח (yum huledet sameach) | yom hoo-LEH-det sah-MEHR |
| Hindi | जन्मदिन की शुभकामनाएँ (janmadin kee shubhakaamanaen) | JAHN-mah-DIN key shoob-KAAM-nah-yehn |
| Irish | Lá breithe sona | LAW breh-ha soh-na DITCH |
| Italian | Buon compleanno | BWOHN cohm-pley-AH-noh |
| Japanese | お誕生日おめでとう (Otanjōbiomedetō) | oh-TAHN-joh-bee-oh-meh-DEH-toh |
| Korean | 생일 축하해요 (Saeng-il chughahaeyo) | SANG-ihl choog-hai-hay-OH |
| Latin | Felix dies natalis | FEH-leeks dice nah-TAH-lees |
| Polish | Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin | vshee-st-KEH-goh nye-lep-SHEH-goh zeh oh-KAH-zee ooh-ROH-zheen |
| Portuguese | Feliz Aniversário | feh-LEES ah-nee-vehr-SAH-ree-oh |
| Russian | С днем рождения (S dnem rozhdeniya) | s DNYOM rozh-DYEH-nee-yah |
| Spanish | Feliz cumpleaños | feh-LEES koom-pleh-AHN-yos |
| Swedish | Grattis på födelsedagen | GRAH-tees pah foh-dehl-seh-DAH-gen |
| Tagalog | Maligayang kaarawan | mah-lee-GAH-yahng KAH-rah-wahn |
| Turkish | Doğum günün kutlu olsun | DOH-oom GOON-oon koot-loo OHL-soon |
| Vietnamese | Chúc mừng sinh nhật | CHOOK moong SEENG nyaht |
‘Happy birthday’ in Arabic: Eid milad saeid! (عيد ميلاد سعيد)
When you hear Eid milad said in an Arabic-speaking country, get ready for a party! Countries like Saudi Arabia and Syria celebrate birthdays with luxurious gifts and feasts, while places like Egypt celebrate birthdays with cake and small gatherings, similar to Western countries.
Use the Egyptian birthday greetings Kol sana w enta tayb for men and Kol sana wenty tyba for women if you’re invited to a birthday party in Egypt.
‘Happy birthday’ in Chinese: Shēngrì kuàilè (生日快乐)
Be prepared to say Shēngrì kuàilè twice to a Chinese birthday celebrant, because they might be throwing their second birthday party of the year. In China, citizens celebrate birthdays on either the Gregorian or the Lunar calendar—and in the same cases, both!
Enjoy long noodles known as chang shou mian in hopes of extending one’s life, and finish the special day with shoutao (longevity peach buns) for a sweet treat to bring in the next year.
‘Happy birthday’ in Dutch: Gefeliciteerd
Everyone gets celebrated at a Dutch birthday party! Partygoers say Gefeliciteerd to all guests at a party, not just the birthday person, to acknowledge their important presence at this momentous occasion.
Rather than a birthday cake, you’ll enjoy a serving of Taarties (fruit-filled tarts) or Vlaai (pie) while the guest of honor opens gifts in front of everyone at the party.
‘Happy birthday’ in Farsi: Tavalodet Mobarak! (تولدت مبارک)
To say “Happy birthday” in Farsi, you can say Tavalodet Mobarak to friends and family, and the more formal Tavalodetoon Mobarak in professional settings. Persian birthday parties include big feasts with delicious khoresh fesenjan (pomegranate stew) and baklava (pastry filled with nuts and honey).
In Iran, birthday celebrations are often held the night before the actual day, so double-check that invitation before you arrive.
‘Happy birthday’ in French: Joyeux anniversaire!
Derived from the Latin words annus and versus (“turning of the year”), the beautiful French words for a birthday greeting, Joyeux anniversaire, ring in another year of good fortune, food, and friendship. You may also hear bon anniversaire in France or Joyeuse Fête in Canada, but they all mean the same thing: Happy birthday!
Enjoy a slice of le gâteau d’anniversaire (birthday cake) and skip wine as a gift option, as it’s considered a faux pas to suggest a party host would need additional wine.
‘Happy birthday’ in German: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
While it’s considered bad luck to say the German phrase Alles Gute zum Geburtstag (which means “All the best for your birthday”) before the actual day, it is acceptable to wish your host a happy birthday when you’ve arrived for Reinfeiern, the pre-birthday celebration that begins shortly before the previous midnight.
The birthday person brings the cake and buys the rounds in Germany, and if they’re turning 30, they may have to perform public chores at the whim of their party guests. (Better than getting an egg cracked on their head, which happens on their 18th birthday!)
‘Happy birthday’ in Greek: Chrónia Pollá! (Χρόνια Πολλά)
Chrónia Pollá means “Many years,” which is a common and heartfelt way to say “Happy birthday” in Greek. While Greeks do celebrate birthdays, they reserve the bigger celebrations for Onomastiki Eorti (Name Day). Every day in the calendar is named after a Greek Orthodox saint, and if you share their name, that’s your name day!
On both name days and birthdays, you should bring a gift to the guest of honor and enjoy a piece of rich sokolatopita (Greek chocolate cake).
‘Happy birthday’ in Hebrew: Yum huledet sameach (יום הולדת שמח)
Birthdays in the Jewish tradition tend to be more formal and religious in nature. Once you wish a loved one Yum huledet sameach, they’ll likely spend the day engaging in tzedakah (acts of charity), meditation, and reading the Psalm that corresponds to their new age (such as Psalm 18 for an 18th birthday).
The 13th birthday is a religious milestone and large celebration in the Jewish culture, and is known as a bar mitzvah for boys and a bat mitzvah for girls. Many guests gather to watch these adolescents enter adulthood in their faith (and to enjoy a great feast!).
‘Happy birthday’ in Hindi: Janmadin kee shubhakaamanaen! (जन्मदिन की शुभकामनाएँ)
Birthdays in India celebrate the role of elders in celebrants’ lives, no matter how old the birthday person is turning. On children’s birthdays, they often touch their parents’ feet to show gratitude for giving them life. Celebrants wear new, brightly colored clothes, visit temples to say Pujas (prayers), and end the day with a taste of laddu (ghee and flour dessert).
If you’re going to a Hindu birthday party, greet the guest of honor with the phrase Janmadin kee shubhakaamanaen, and avoid bad luck by not wrapping gifts in black and white paper.
‘Happy birthday’ in Irish: Lá breithe sona duit!
Irish birthday parties are all about welcoming a person to the next year of their life! With the Irish greeting Lá breithe sona duit (or Lá breithe sona daoibh to more than one person), you’re free to then turn the birthday celebrant upside down and bump their head on the floor. Each bump should correspond to one year of their life, plus one extra for luck!
If head bumps don’t get the congrats across, consider buttering the birthday person’s nose, a Celtic tradition for keeping bad luck away in the coming year.
‘Happy birthday’ in Italian: Buon compleanno!
When you say Buon compleanno, a common way to say “Happy birthday” in Italian, and hand the birthday person a gift, expect them to open it right away out of respect. You’ll then use an Italian greeting for “Cheers!” with a glass of Prosecco and share Torta con crema pasticcera (Italian rum cake) after singing the Italian birthday song Tanti Auguri a Te.
The 18th birthday is the biggest one in Italian culture, but that doesn’t mean the rest can’t be a big bash filled with delicious food and wine! For an extra bit of good luck, give the birthday person’s earlobe a tug for each year they’ve turned so far.
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‘Happy birthday’ in Japanese: Otanjōbiomedetō (お誕生日おめでとう)
Both youth and old age are causes for celebration in Japan. At a one-year-old’s birthday party, a toddler shows their strength by carrying an isshou mochi (large rice mochi) and choosing from a selection of items that symbolize their future options.
Many years later, these celebrants ring in the Kanreki (60th birthday), finishing a full Zodiac calendar and beginning a type of rebirth. No matter how old the guest of honor is turning, wish them Otanjōbiomedetō, or the more formal Japanese greeting, Otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu.
‘Happy birthday’ in Korean: Saeng-il chughahaeyo! (생일 축하해요)
A birthday celebration in South Korea begins with the greeting Saeng-il chughahaeyo and a bowl of miyeok-guk (breakfast seaweed soup). After a day of religious observances and feasts, everyone enjoys a special serving of mujigae-tteok (rainbow rice cakes) made just for occasions like these.
If you miss celebrating a Korean friend’s birthday, you have another chance at the Lunar New Year, when everyone in Korea collectively ages one year.
‘Happy birthday’ in Latin: Felix dies natalis!
While Latin is considered a dead language, wishing someone Felix dies natalis is still a thoughtful way to pass on birthday greetings! The phrase originated from the ancient Roman tradition of birthday celebrations, whether it was individual birthdays, anniversaries of the founding of cities, or birthdays of past and present emperors.
These celebrations typically involved religious rituals, animal sacrifices, feasts, and honey cakes for the birthday person and their guests to enjoy.
‘Happy birthday’ in Polish: Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin!
Once you’ve mastered the Polish birthday phrase Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin, try to add Sto lat to wish the birthday person “one hundred years.” As in Greece, Polish celebrants mark both their own birthdays and their Imieniny (name day), giving you twice as many opportunities to enjoy a party!
Bring your Polish hosts gifts like chocolates or flowers, but only an odd number of flowers (except 13, it’s bad luck), and never yellow chrysanthemums, as they are reserved for funerals.
‘Happy birthday’ in Portuguese: Feliz Aniversário!
Blowing out the candles isn’t enough to make your birthday wish come true at Portuguese parties! These celebrants take the candle off the cake after it’s blown out, bring it under the table, and bite the candle to get their wish.
Brazilian guests may try to “make a cake” out of the birthday person by throwing flour and eggs at them, but don’t worry—there’s still bolo (cake) to go around. In Brazil, the first piece goes to the person the birthday celebrant loves most, so be careful with those eggs!
‘Happy birthday’ in Russian: S dnem rozhdeniya! (С днем рождения)
If cake isn’t your preferred birthday dessert, stop by a Russian birthday party for a slice of personalized double-crusted pie. With heartfelt toasts, smoked fish, pirozhkis (baked buns filled with sweet or savory foods), and party games, a Russian birthday is a great chance to practice the greeting S dnem rozhdeniya!
You can also give the birthday person’s earlobe a tug while saying Rasti bol’shoy – ne bud’ lapshoy (Grow big, don’t be a noodle).
‘Happy birthday’ in Spanish: ¡Feliz cumpleaños!
You don’t need to be in Mexico to have a piñata, but a Mexican birthday is the best place to enjoy this birthday tradition! After pummeling the treat-filled piñata with a stick, party guests shout the Spanish phrase Mordida! as the birthday person bites the cake without using their hands. A guest may then shove their face in the cake, so be ready!
Latin American countries hold huge celebrations for a girl’s quinceañera (15th birthday), while in Spain, wishing “Happy birthday” in Spanish—¡Feliz cumpleaños!—with a few good-luck pulls on the birthday person’s earlobes is never a bad idea.
‘Happy birthday’ in Swedish: Grattis på födelsedagen!
In Sweden, birthdays start with breakfast in bed and end with Prinsesstårta (a green Princess Tarta cake). In between, guests wish the person celebrating their birthday Grattis på födelsedagen and sing the traditional Swedish birthday song Ja må han (hon) leva (followed by Hurra, hurra, hurra, hurra!)
If you’re attending a Swedish birthday where the person is turning an age ending in 0, expect a bigger celebration than usual. Köttbullar (Swedish meatballs) and Smörgåstårta (sandwich cake) are popular birthday feast foods for any age!
‘Happy birthday’ in Tagalog: Maligayang kaarawan!
Wear red for luck and practice the Tagalog phrase Maligayang kaarawan when attending a Filipino birthday party. Birthday celebrants host a Handaan (extravagant feast) complete with a lechon (roasted suckling pig) and pancit (longevity noodles).
Expect lots of singing and dancing, possibly including karaoke, when you attend a Filipino birthday party. But birthdays in this culture also include prayer and religious traditions, allowing the birthday person to reflect on their life and the year ahead.
‘Happy birthday’ in Turkish: Doğum günün kutlu olsun!
Turkish birthday parties revolve around family gatherings, gift giving, and feasting together. A selection of meze (small appetizer dishes) and Turkish wine are typically present at a Turkish birthday party, as is a platter of baklava or Revani (syrup-soaked semolina cake).
Wish Doğum günün kutlu olsun to the doğum günü çocuğu (birthday person), or give them a simple greeting of Mutlu yıllar (Happy years). For an informal or casual relationship, tell them Pastan Çok Olsun, Mumların Az (May your cake be big and your candles be few!).
‘Happy birthday’ in Vietnamese: Chúc mừng sinh nhật!
For anyone who has ever wished they could blow out the candles on someone else’s birthday cake, a Vietnamese birthday may be for you! Hosts often relight a cake’s candles to let as many children as possible blow out the candles on the mala phở (plum birthday cake). And since most people consider themselves a year older at Tết (Lunar New Year in Vietnam), this tradition makes sense!
Vietnamese birthday traditions also include honoring ancestors, particularly on the anniversaries of their deaths. These occasions may be larger celebrations than birthdays, and involve worship, family gatherings, and a feast to remember the person who has passed.
Go beyond ‘Happy birthday’ in different languages with Rosetta Stone
No matter what language you learn or what country you visit, you’ll find an occasion to celebrate. Whether it’s attending an international birthday party or learning “Merry Christmas” in different languages, discovering more about a culture can open up celebratory experiences you never thought possible!
Learn more about how Rosetta Stone works to start your language learning journey today, whether your goal is to learn a dialect fluently, find out how to say “Happy birthday” in different languages, or learn more about traditions all over the world.
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