عيد ميلاد سعيد
Eid Milad Saeed
The English phrase "birthday wishes" is translated into Arabic as عيد ميلاد سعيد (Eid Milad Saeed).
عيد ميلاد سعيد is a standard, widely understood greeting used across the Arabic-speaking world to congratulate someone on their birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Eid (feast/festival), Milad (birth) and Saeed (happy).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman, عيد ميلاد سعيد is commonly used for both formal and informal birthday wishes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective Saeed (happy) follows the noun phrase Eid Milad (birthday) to modify it.
How do you pronounce it?
Eid Milad Saeed
When do people say it?
To enrich a birthday wish, you can use the phrase ربنا يبارك فيك, which means "May God bless you".
Did you know?
- In some traditional Arabic cultures, birthday celebrations were historically uncommon, meaning عيد ميلاد سعيد is a relatively modern adoption of Western customs into the language.
- While عيد ميلاد سعيد is standard, many speakers prefer the phrase كل عام وأنت بخير, which literally means 'every year and you are well' and can be used for birthdays, New Years and anniversaries.
- Depending on the region, a common response to birthday wishes is وأنت بخير, which mirrors the greeting back to the speaker, effectively wishing them well in return.
Examples in context
- عيد ميلاد سعيد لك يا صديقي.ʿīd mīlād saʿīd lak yā ṣadīqī.Happy birthday to you, my friend.
- عيد ميلاد سعيد لكل العائلة.ʿīd mīlād saʿīd likul al-ʿāʾila.Happy birthday to all the family.
Example conversation
Mariam greets Omar on his birthday at a cafe.
- مريم Maryamعيد ميلاد سعيد يا عمر!ʿīd mīlād saʿīd yā ʿumar!Happy birthday, Omar!
- عمر Omarشكراً لكِ يا مريم.shukran laki yā maryam.Thank you, Mariam.
- مريم Maryamهل ستحتفل اليوم؟hal sataḥtil al-yawm?Will you celebrate today?
- عمر Omarنعم، مع عائلتي.naʿam, maʿa ʿāʾilatī.Yes, with my family.
