A simple “happy birthday” in German can deepen your connection with native Germans and brighten up their special day of the year. Just make sure you know the German days of the week and the months of the year in German so you can plan the birthday party on the right day! Add these easy phrases for “happy birthday” to your German knowledge and learn how Germans like to say “cheers.”
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5 ways to say ‘happy birthday’ to friends and loved ones
We’ve included five ways to say “happy birthday” in German,so you’re covered regardless of the context or situation.
1. Alles Gute zum Geburtstag
As the golden standard for well wishes on someone’s birthday, Alles Gute zum Geburtstag is the go-to phrase for “happy birthday” in German. It’s closer to saying “all the best for your birthday,” showing the care you have for your friend or loved one and how much you want the best for them on their special day.
2. Herzlichen Glückwunsch
Herzlichen Glückwunsch translates to “heartfelt congratulations” in English. This is a widely used phrase for birthdays and other events that call for a celebration. While it can come across a bit formal, herzlichen Glückwunsch is more respectful than it is cold and impersonal, making it a great choice for your elderly matriarch to whom you want to show your respect while keeping things friendly and personable.
3. Happy B-Day!
Yes, Germans say happy B-Day (happy birthday) too! This shortening of “birthday” into “B-Day” is most commonly done over text, so send this as a message to a friend or loved one when they first wake up so they can start the day off on a bright note. Given the informality of happy B-Day, you might stick to using it with friends and immediate family members to avoid coming across as overly friendly.
4. Hoch sollst du leben!
Similar in tone to the English phrase “hip hip hooray,” hoch sollst du leben means “high should you live.” You can use this phrase at the end of most traditional German birthday songs or as a toast before sharing a drink with the one having their birthday.
5. Feiern Sie schön
Feiern Sie schön (have a lovely celebration) uses the formal “you” in German, so you will want to say this to a familiar coworker or colleague rather than a loved one or close friend. It shows you want them to have a good time while acknowledging through grammar the professional nature of your relationship.
How to sing the happy birthday song in German
The most popular happy birthday song in German shares the same tune as the happy birthday song in English. Consider singing this to your German friend on their next cake day:
Zum Geburtstag viel Glück,
zum Geburtstag viel Glück,
zum Geburtstag, liebe/lieber [name]
zum Geburtstag viel Glück!
In this song, the line zum Geburtstag viel Glück means “to the birthday much happiness,” or you can just translate it as “happy birthday to you” to match the English version of this song. Note the line zum Geburtstag, liebe/lieber, where liebe is used for females and lieber is used for males. This line means “to the birthday, beloved [name].”
Celebrate with 4 ways to say ‘cheers’ in German
You might want to say more than just “happy birthday” in German when attending a rousing party. Did you know that you can say “cheers” in different languages? Germany is known for its drinking culture, so you’re sure to run into these terms at a German birthday party. Below are a few common German words used before a group toast that you can use to be the life of the party:
- Prost! = Cheers!
- Auf dich! = To you!
- Zum Wohl! = To your health!
- Rein damit! = Down the hatch!
The beauty of learning how to speak German is the access you get to all the new people from German-speaking countries you get to meet and with whom you can celebrate life’s best moments. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method focuses on giving you the practical tools you need to form these new connections and have quality conversations that improve even the best celebrations life has to offer.
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