Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| zi de naștere | /ˈzi de ˈnaʃ.te.re/ (word by word) |
| aniversare |
The term zi de naștere refers specifically to the day a person was born. The term aniversare is a more general word for an anniversary and can be used for birthdays or other yearly milestones.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase zi de naștere is a literal construction where zi means 'day' and naștere means 'birth'.
Which one should you use?
While zi de naștere specifically denotes the day of one's birth, aniversare is a broader term for any anniversary.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzi de ˈnaʃ.te.re/. The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
To say 'Happy Birthday!' in Romanian, people do not use a literal translation of the English phrase. Instead, the standard expression is La mulți ani!, which means 'Many years to you!' The traditional song used for birthdays is La Mulți Ani.
Did you know?
- In Romania, Name Days are often celebrated with as much importance as a zi de naștere, as they honor the saint for whom a person is named.
- While La mulți ani! is used for birthdays, it is also the standard greeting for New Year's Eve and Name Days, making it a universal wish for longevity.
- The Romanian word for 'day', zi, is a distant relative of the English word 'sky', tracing back to the Indo-European root for 'heaven'.
Examples in context
- Decorez camera fiicei mele pentru că aniversarea ei este astăzi.I am decorating the room of my daughter, because her birthday is today.The sentence is useful for showing how to use aniversare when talking about a daughter's birthday.Tatoeba #13902599 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13902594 by Ioan_Cristian
- Chiar dacă Tom tocmai a trecut de a patruzecea zi de naștere, nu cred că vremea lui a apus încă.Even though Tom just had his fortieth birthday, I don't think he's over the hill yet.The sentence is useful for showing how to use zi de naștere when mentioning a fortieth birthday.Tatoeba #5321656 by fathe, translation #1160865 by CK
- Azi e aniversarea surorii mele.Today is my sister's birthday.The sentence is useful for showing how to use aniversare to state it is a sister's birthday.Tatoeba #1151769 by ijikure2, translation #242653 by Swift
- Sărbătorește-ți ziua de naștere în stil mare!Celebrate your birthday in a big way!
- La mulți ani, cu sănătate și fericire!Happy birthday, with health and happiness!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alexandru and Elena are talking about an upcoming party.
- AlexandruCând este zi de naștere a ta?When is your birthday?
- ElenaZi de naștere a mea este vineri.My birthday is on Friday.
- AlexandruVrei să ieșim în oraș atunci?Do you want to go out then?
- ElenaDa, ar fi o idee excelentă!Yes, that would be an excellent idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “birthday” translations and entries zi de naștere, aniversare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (zi, de, naștere) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aniversare, de, naștere, zi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
