Happy Birthday in Portuguese
Part of: Happy Birthday in Every Language
Happy birthday in Portuguese is "feliz aniversario", pronounced feh-LEEZ ah-nee-ver-SAH-ryo. In Brazil people also say "parabens", which literally means congratulations and is what the room shouts at the cake. Portugal uses "feliz aniversario" more consistently, so if in doubt use that one.
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The phrase you need
| Portuguese | Pronounced | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Feliz aniversario | feh-LEEZ ah-nee-ver-SAH-ryo | Brazil and Portugal, always correct |
| Parabens | pah-rah-BENGS | Brazil especially — what people shout |
| Muitas felicidades | MOO-ee-tas feh-lee-see-DAH-des | Warmer, both countries |
| Feliz niver | feh-LEEZ NEE-ver | Brazilian slang, texts between friends |
"Parabens" is the one that surprises learners. It means congratulations, and Brazilians use it as the main birthday greeting — the birthday song itself is called "Parabens pra voce".
Copy these
Feliz aniversario!
Parabens!
Parabens pelo seu aniversario!
Muitas felicidades!
Feliz aniversario! Que voce tenha um dia maravilhoso.
Parabens! Desejo tudo de bom para voce.
Feliz aniversario! Que este novo ano seja incrivel.
Que todos os seus desejos se realizem.
Feliz aniversario! Aproveite muito o seu dia.
Muitos anos de vida!
For someone you love
Feliz aniversario, meu amor.
Parabens para a pessoa mais importante da minha vida.
Cada ano com voce e melhor que o anterior. Feliz aniversario.
Feliz aniversario, meu bem. Eu te amo.
Obrigado por existir. Parabens!
For family
Feliz aniversario, mae. Te amo muito.
Parabens, pai. Obrigado por tudo.
Feliz aniversario, irma. Voce e a melhor.
Parabens, vovo. Que Deus te abencoe.
Feliz aniversario, filho. Tenho muito orgulho de voce.
For work
Feliz aniversario! Tenha um otimo dia.
Parabens e muito sucesso neste novo ano.
Desejo tudo de bom no seu aniversario.
Feliz aniversario da parte de toda a equipe.
The birthday song in Portuguese
Brazil sings the tune with these words, and everyone knows them:
Parabens pra voce, nesta data querida, muitas felicidades, muitos anos de vida.
In Brazil it is almost always followed by a chanted second verse and a lot of clapping. Portugal sings a similar version with small wording differences.
What is different about a Brazilian birthday
The brigadeiro — a small chocolate truffle — is expected at any Brazilian birthday, often more than the cake itself.
There is also a strong custom of the birthday person hosting and feeding everyone, rather than being taken out. Turning up empty-handed as a guest is fine; the host provides.
Party words worth knowing
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| a festa | the party |
| o bolo | the cake |
| as velas | the candles |
| o presente | the gift |
| faca um pedido | make a wish |
| assoprar as velas | blow out the candles |
Send a card that says it in Portuguese
Portuguese uses accents that get dropped when people type from memory — aniversario, parabens, voce all carry them. Copying the phrases above keeps them correct.
To send something they can watch, type the greeting into the free fireworks card maker. It renders Portuguese accents correctly and each letter explodes into light with real firework sound. Send it as a link that plays instantly.
Common questions
How do you say happy birthday in Portuguese? "Feliz aniversario", pronounced feh-LEEZ ah-nee-ver-SAH-ryo. In Brazil "parabens" is used just as much.
What does parabens mean? Congratulations. Brazilians use it as the standard birthday greeting, and the birthday song is named after it.
Is Brazilian Portuguese different from Portugal Portuguese here? Slightly. Both use "feliz aniversario". Brazil leans on "parabens" and the slang "feliz niver"; Portugal uses those less.
How do you say happy belated birthday in Portuguese? "Feliz aniversario atrasado", or "desculpe o atraso, parabens" to apologise first.
What is a brigadeiro? A small chocolate truffle made from condensed milk and cocoa. It is the expected sweet at Brazilian birthdays.