Happy Birthday in Russian
Part of: Happy Birthday in Every Language
Happy birthday in Russian is С днём рождения, pronounced s-dnyom razh-DYEN-ya. It literally means with the day of birth. Russians add a wish after it far more often than English speakers do, so a bare greeting can feel abrupt — pair it with one of the wishes below.
Tap Copy on any wish, then paste it into your message. Or turn one into an animated fireworks card you can send as a link.
Every phrase below has a Copy button. Cyrillic cannot be typed on a normal keyboard, so copying is the practical way to send it.
The phrase you need
| Russian | Pronounced | Use it with |
|---|---|---|
| С днём рождения | s-dnyom razh-DYEN-ya | Anyone — the standard greeting |
| Поздравляю с днём рождения | paz-drav-LYA-yu... | Slightly fuller, warmer |
| С днюхой | s-DNYU-khoy | Slang, close friends only |
| Поздравляю Вас с днём рождения | ...vas... | Formal, capital V for respect |
Russian distinguishes ты and Вы like French and German. The capitalised Вы in writing signals respect and is used with managers, older people and anyone you are not close to.
One superstition worth knowing: Russians consider it bad luck to wish someone happy birthday before the day, the same as in Germany.
Copy these
С днём рождения!
Поздравляю с днём рождения!
С днём рождения! Желаю счастья и здоровья.
Поздравляю! Пусть всё задуманное сбудется.
С днём рождения! Желаю тебе всего самого лучшего.
Счастья, здоровья, любви!
С днём рождения! Пусть этот год будет замечательным.
Желаю исполнения всех желаний.
С днём рождения! Оставайся таким же прекрасным человеком.
Пусть каждый день радует тебя.
For someone you love
С днём рождения, любимая!
С днём рождения, любимый! Я тебя люблю.
Ты самый важный человек в моей жизни. С днём рождения.
Спасибо, что ты есть. С днём рождения!
Каждый год с тобой лучше предыдущего.
For family
Мама, с днём рождения! Люблю тебя.
Папа, с днём рождения! Спасибо за всё.
Бабушка, с днём рождения! Здоровья тебе.
С днём рождения, сестра!
Сынок, с днём рождения!
For work
Поздравляю Вас с днём рождения!
Желаю Вам здоровья и успехов.
С днём рождения! Всего наилучшего в новом году жизни.
Поздравляем от всей команды!
The birthday song in Russian
Russia sings the familiar tune, but the far more famous birthday song is Крокодил Гена's song from a Soviet cartoon, which almost everyone knows:
Пусть бегут неуклюже пешеходы по лужам
It is melancholy rather than cheerful, which surprises people, and it is sung at birthdays across generations.
What is different about a Russian birthday
The birthday person traditionally hosts and treats everyone, including bringing cake to the office themselves.
Even numbers of flowers are for funerals. If you bring flowers, bring an odd number — this is taken seriously.
Wishes are expected to be substantial. A short "happy birthday" alone can seem cold; adding a wish for health, happiness or success is the norm.
Party words worth knowing
| Russian | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| день рождения | den rozhdeniya | birthday |
| торт | tort | cake |
| свечи | svechi | candles |
| подарок | podarok | gift |
| желание | zhelaniye | a wish |
| праздник | prazdnik | celebration |
Send a card in Cyrillic
Most card tools render Cyrillic as boxes, which is why people give up and send the greeting in English.
The free fireworks card maker renders Russian correctly. Paste С днём рождения into it and each letter launches into a night sky and explodes with real firework sound. Send it as a link that plays instantly, in the right alphabet.
Common questions
How do you say happy birthday in Russian? С днём рождения, pronounced s-dnyom razh-DYEN-ya.
What does it literally mean? With the day of birth. Russian congratulates you with an occasion rather than wishing you a happy one.
Should I use ты or Вы? Use ты with friends, family and children. Use Вы, capitalised in writing, with managers, older people and anyone you address formally.
Is it bad luck to wish someone early in Russia? Yes. The superstition is the same as in Germany — wait for the day itself.
How do you say happy belated birthday in Russian? С прошедшим днём рождения — literally with the passed birthday.