Happy Birthday in Every Language
Happy birthday is "feliz cumpleanos" in Spanish, "joyeux anniversaire" in French, "alles Gute zum Geburtstag" in German and "otanjoubi omedetou" in Japanese. A greeting in someone's own language lands differently from one in yours. Below is how to say it in sixteen languages, how to pronounce each one, and how to make a card that renders their script correctly.
A birthday greeting in someone's first language does something a translated card cannot. It says you thought about them specifically, not about the occasion.
This is the hub for saying happy birthday around the world. Each language below gets the phrase, how it is actually pronounced, whether there is a formal version, and the local birthday song.
The phrase in sixteen languages
| Language | Happy birthday | Roughly pronounced |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Feliz cumpleanos | feh-LEES koom-play-AH-nyos |
| French | Joyeux anniversaire | zhwah-YUH ah-nee-vair-SAIR |
| German | Alles Gute zum Geburtstag | AH-les GOO-teh tsoom geh-BURTS-tahk |
| Italian | Buon compleanno | bwon kom-play-AH-no |
| Portuguese | Feliz aniversario | feh-LEEZ ah-nee-ver-SAH-ryo |
| Russian | S dnyom rozhdeniya | s-dnyom razh-DYEN-ya |
| Japanese | Otanjoubi omedetou | oh-tan-JOH-bee oh-meh-deh-toh |
| Korean | Saengil chukhahae | SENG-il chook-ha-HEH |
| Hindi | Janmadin mubarak | JUN-ma-din moo-BAH-rak |
| Arabic | Eid milad saeed | eed mee-LAD sa-EED |
| Thai | Suk san wan kerd | sook-SAN wan-KERD |
| Vietnamese | Chuc mung sinh nhat | chook moong sin nyut |
| Indonesian | Selamat ulang tahun | seh-LAH-mat OO-lang TAH-hoon |
| Tagalog | Maligayang kaarawan | ma-lee-GAH-yang ka-ah-RAH-wan |
| Turkish | Dogum gunun kutlu olsun | doh-OOM goo-NOON koot-LOO ol-soon |
| Hawaiian | Hau'oli la hanau | how-OH-lee lah hah-NOW |
Each guide below gives the formal and informal versions, how to pronounce them, the local birthday song, the customs that trip visitors up, and every phrase with a Copy button so the accents and scripts stay intact.
- Happy birthday in Spanish — feliz cumpleanos, and why Spanish has no formal version to worry about
- Happy birthday in French — joyeux anniversaire, and the Quebec "bonne fete" trap
- Happy birthday in German — alles Gute zum Geburtstag, and why you must never wish early
- Happy birthday in Italian — buon compleanno and tanti auguri
- Happy birthday in Portuguese — feliz aniversario, and what parabens really means
- Happy birthday in Japanese — otanjoubi omedetou, and when to add gozaimasu
- Happy birthday in Korean — the three politeness levels and the honorific saengshin
- Happy birthday in Russian — s dnyom rozhdeniya, and the odd-number flower rule
- Happy birthday in Hindi — janmadin mubarak in Devanagari
- Happy birthday in Hawaiian — hau'oli la hanau, and what the okina does
Formal or informal matters more than you think
In several languages there are two ways to say it and picking wrong is awkward.
- German has a short casual "Herzlichen Gluckwunsch" and the fuller "Alles Gute zum Geburtstag" for cards
- Japanese adds "gozaimasu" for anyone older or senior to you
- Korean changes ending depending on whether the person is a friend or an elder
- Spanish and French are more forgiving — the standard phrase works in almost every situation
When unsure, use the longer form. Being slightly too formal reads as respectful. Being too casual reads as careless.
Say it in their script, not in yours
Writing "Chuc mung sinh nhat" without the accents changes the words. Writing Japanese or Arabic in the Latin alphabet reads as a foreigner guessing.
The free fireworks video maker renders sixteen languages with correct accents and scripts — including Vietnamese tone marks, Hindi, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Arabic and Cyrillic. Type the greeting in their language and the letters explode into fireworks one at a time, in the right characters.
Then send it as a link that plays the moment they open it, wherever in the world they are.
Common questions
How do you say happy birthday in Spanish? "Feliz cumpleanos", pronounced feh-LEES koom-play-AH-nyos. The shortened "feliz cumple" is common in text messages.
What is the most common birthday greeting worldwide? Almost every language has a direct equivalent of "happy birthday", but many countries also sing their own birthday song rather than a translation of the English one.
Is it rude to send a greeting in the wrong dialect? Rarely. The effort is what registers. Where it matters most is formality level, not regional dialect.
Can I write the greeting in their alphabet? Yes. Type it directly into the fireworks maker — it renders Vietnamese, Hindi, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Arabic and Cyrillic correctly, accents included.
Which language should I use for someone bilingual? Use the language they grew up speaking at home, not the one they work in. That is the one a birthday greeting lands in.