Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| день рожде́ния | denʹ roždénija | masculine |
| дню́ха | dnjúxa | feminine, slang |
| имени́ны | imeníny | feminine, often, plural |
A common way to congratulate someone is to say Поздравляю с днем рождения!, which means "Congratulations on your birthday!"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase день рожде́ния literally translates to "day of birth".
Which one should you use?
While день рожде́ния refers to the actual day a person was born, the word имени́ны refers to a person's name day, which is the feast day of the saint they are named after.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The variation День рожденья is a colloquial way to say birthday. For a highly informal and slang way to refer to a birthday, you can use дню́ха.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase день рожде́ния, the word рожде́ния is the genitive case of рожде́ние (birth). To express the concept of "Happy Birthday," Russians use the prepositional phrase с днём рожде́ния, which literally means "with the day of birth".
How do you pronounce it?
denʹ roždénija
Did you know?
- It is traditionally considered bad luck in Russia to celebrate a день рожде́ния or wish someone a happy birthday before the actual date arrives.
- In Russia, it is common to congratulate someone on their день рожде́ния by giving an odd number of flowers, as even numbers are reserved for funerals.
- In traditional Russian culture, имени́ны was historically considered more important than день рожде́ния because it celebrated a person's spiritual birth into the church.
Examples in context
- Пусть все твои мечты сбываются в этом новом году твоей жизни!May all your dreams come true in this new year of your life!
- Поздравляю с днем рождения! Желаю невероятных приключений и незабываемых моментов!Congratulations on your birthday! Wishing you incredible adventures and unforgettable moments!
Example conversation
Andrey and Maria are talking about a party.
- Андрей AndreyЗавтра мой день рожде́ния.Zavtra moy den rozhdeniya.Tomorrow is my birthday.
- Мария MariaОй, поздравляю тебя, Андрей!Oy, pozdravlyayu tebya, Andrey!Oh, congratulations, Andrey!
- Андрей AndreyСпасибо! Приходи в гости вечером.Spasibo! Prikhodi v gosti vecherom.Thanks! Come visit in the evening.
- Мария MariaЯ обязательно приду, Мария обещает.Ya obyazatelno pridu, Mariya obeshchayet.I will definitely come, Maria promises.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “birthday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
