Geburtsdatum
[ɡəˈbuːɐ̯t͡sˌdaːtʊm]
The English phrase 'birthday date' is translated into German as Geburtsdatum.
Geburtsdatum refers specifically to the date of birth (the exact calendar date someone was born). It is most commonly used in formal contexts, such as when filling out official forms, applications or medical documents.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of Geburt (birth) and Datum (date).
Which one should you use?
Use Geburtsdatum for the specific calendar date of birth, such as 12.05.1990. In contrast, use Geburtstag to refer to the annual celebration of one's birthday.
How does it change in a sentence?
Geburtsdatum is a neuter noun and takes the article das. The plural form is Geburtsdaten.
When do people say it?
To ask someone their birthdate in a polite manner, you can use the phrase Wann haben Sie Geburtstag?
Did you know?
- While Geburtsdatum is used for documents, Germans typically avoid using it in conversation. Asking Wann ist dein Geburtsdatum? would sound unnaturally clinical, like an interrogation by a police officer.
- The word Geburt shares a root with the English word 'birth', yet the German word for the act of giving birth, entbinden, is completely different and uses a root meaning 'to unbind'.
- In German, the word Datum for date is a direct loan from Latin, meaning 'given'. This distinguishes it from the word Dattel, which means the fruit 'date'.
Examples in context
- Wann hast du Geburtstag?When is your birthday?
- Ich feiere meinen Geburtstag am Samstag.I am celebrating my birthday on Saturday.
- Entschuldigung, dürfte ich fragen, wann Sie Geburtstag haben?Excuse me, may I ask when your birthday is?
- Bitte geben Sie Ihr Geburtsdatum an.Please state your date of birth.
- Das Geburtsdatum steht im Pass.The date of birth is in the passport.
- Ich habe mein Geburtsdatum vergessen.I forgot my date of birth.
Example conversation
Julian and Laura are filling out a registration form together.
- JulianLaura, wie ist dein Geburtsdatum?Laura, what is your date of birth?
- LauraIch bin am zehnten Mai geboren.I was born on the tenth of May.
- JulianDanke, ich schreibe es jetzt auf.Thanks, I am writing it down now.
- LauraVergiss dein eigenes Geburtsdatum nicht!Don't forget your own date of birth!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Geburtsdatum, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
