Happy Birthday in Italian
Part of: Happy Birthday in Every Language
Happy birthday in Italian is "buon compleanno", pronounced bwon kom-play-AH-no. In practice Italians say "tanti auguri" far more often — it means many good wishes and is what gets shouted at the cake. Both are correct with anyone, at any level of formality.
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The phrase you need
| Italian | Pronounced | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Buon compleanno | bwon kom-play-AH-no | The direct translation, always correct |
| Tanti auguri | TAN-tee ow-GOO-ree | What people actually say most of the time |
| Auguri | ow-GOO-ree | Short form, also used for other occasions |
| Cento di questi giorni | CHEN-toh dee KWES-tee JOR-nee | A hundred more days like this — traditional and warm |
"Tanti auguri" is the one to learn if you only learn one. It is what the room says when the candles come out, and it is also the first line of the Italian birthday song.
Copy these
Buon compleanno!
Tanti auguri!
Tanti auguri di buon compleanno!
Auguri! Passa una giornata bellissima.
Buon compleanno! Ti auguro tutto il meglio.
Cento di questi giorni!
Tanti auguri! Che questo anno ti porti tutto quello che desideri.
Buon compleanno! Divertiti tanto oggi.
Ti auguro una giornata piena di gioia.
Auguri di cuore per il tuo compleanno.
For someone you love
Buon compleanno, amore mio.
Tanti auguri alla persona piu importante della mia vita.
Ogni anno con te e migliore del precedente. Buon compleanno.
Buon compleanno, tesoro. Ti amo.
Grazie di esistere. Tanti auguri.
For family
Buon compleanno, mamma. Ti voglio bene.
Tanti auguri, papa. Grazie di tutto.
Buon compleanno, sorella. Sei la migliore.
Tanti auguri, nonna. Un abbraccio forte.
Buon compleanno, figlio mio. Sono orgoglioso di te.
For work
Buon compleanno! Le auguro una splendida giornata.
Tanti auguri e buon proseguimento.
Auguri di buon compleanno da tutto il team.
Le faccio i miei migliori auguri per il suo compleanno.
Italian distinguishes tu and Lei. The work phrases above use Lei, the formal form. With colleagues you are friendly with, tu is normal; with a client or a senior manager, Lei is safer.
The birthday song in Italian
Italy sings the familiar tune with these words:
Tanti auguri a te, tanti auguri a te, tanti auguri a [name], tanti auguri a te.
It is short, everyone knows it, and it is usually followed by the person being told to fai un desiderio — make a wish.
What is different about an Italian birthday
The onomastico — name day — is a second celebration. It falls on the feast day of the saint you were named after, and older generations sometimes treat it as more important than the birthday itself.
Italians also traditionally avoid celebrating a birthday early, similar to Germany, though the belief is held less strictly.
Party words worth knowing
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| la festa | the party |
| la torta | the cake |
| le candeline | the candles |
| il regalo | the gift |
| esprimi un desiderio | make a wish |
| spegni le candeline | blow out the candles |
Send a card that says it in Italian
To send something they can watch, type the greeting into the free fireworks card maker. It renders Italian accents correctly and each letter explodes into light with real firework sound. Send it as a link that plays the second they open it.
Common questions
How do you say happy birthday in Italian? "Buon compleanno", pronounced bwon kom-play-AH-no. "Tanti auguri" is used just as often and sounds more natural in speech.
What is the difference between buon compleanno and tanti auguri? "Buon compleanno" specifically means happy birthday. "Tanti auguri" means many good wishes and is used for birthdays, name days and other celebrations.
What does cento di questi giorni mean? A hundred more days like this one. It is an old, warm way of wishing someone many more birthdays.
What is an onomastico? Your name day — the feast day of the saint you share a name with. It is a separate small celebration from your birthday.
How do you say happy belated birthday in Italian? "Buon compleanno in ritardo", or "scusa il ritardo, tanti auguri" to apologise first.