سالْگِرَہْ
sālgirahfeminine
The Urdu word for birthday is سالْگِرَہْ, romanized as sālgirah. If unsure, use سالْگِرَہْ. Wiktionary also lists جَنْم دِن (janm din).
Meaning: anniversary (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سالْگِرَہْ | sālgirah | feminine |
| جَنْم دِن | janm din | India, masculine |
سالْگِرَہْ is the standard Urdu word for a birthday. It is also used for any yearly anniversary, such as a wedding anniversary.
What does it mean word for word?
sālgirah is a compound of sāl, year and girah, knot or tie, so it literally means an annual tie.
Which one should you use?
جَنْم دِن, romanized as janm din, also means birthday but is more common in India, especially where Hindi has an influence. سالْگِرَہْ is the standard Urdu term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
جَنْم دِن is mainly heard in India.
How does it change in a sentence?
سالْگِرَہْ is a feminine noun, while جَنْم دِن is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as sālgirah.
When do people say it?
To wish someone a happy birthday, say سالْگِرَہْ مُبَارَک, romanized as sālgirah mubārak.
Did you know?
- In some traditional Pakistani households, birthdays are not celebrated with cakes but with the distribution of mithai or sweets to neighbors and relatives.
- The word مُبَارَک in the greeting سالْگِرَہْ مُبَارَک is an Arabic loanword meaning 'blessed', making the phrase closer to 'blessed anniversary' than 'happy birthday'.
- The difference between sālgirah and janm din is not just vocabulary but geography. Using janm din can immediately signal to a listener that the speaker is from India rather than Pakistan.
Examples in context
- آج میری سالْگِرَہْ ہے۔Aaj meri saalgirah hai.Today is my birthday.
- آپ کو سالْگِرَہْ مبارک ہو۔Aap ko saalgirah mubarak ho.Happy birthday to you.
- کیا آپ نے سالْگِرَہْ کی تیاری کی؟Kya aap ne saalgirah ki tayari ki?Did you prepare for the birthday?
Example conversation
Ali is wishing Sarah a happy birthday over the phone.
- سارہ Saraہیلو علی، کیسے ہو؟Hello Ali, kaise ho?Hello Ali, how are you?
- علی Aliمیں ٹھیک ہوں، سالْگِرَہْ مبارک ہو، سارہ!Main theek hoon, saalgirah mubarak ho, Sarah!I am fine, happy birthday, Sarah!
- سارہ Saraبہت شکریہ، علی۔Bohat shukriya, Ali.Thank you very much, Ali.
- علی Aliکوئی بات نہیں، اپنا خیال رکھنا۔Koi baat nahi, apna khayal rakhna.You're welcome, take care of yourself.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “birthday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
