Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños
/djos te bendiɡa en tu kumpleaɲos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "God bless you on your birthday" is translated into Spanish as Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños.
This phrase is used to wish someone divine favor and happiness on the anniversary of their birth.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "God bless you in your birthday". Note that Spanish uses the preposition en (in/on) rather than "on" to denote the time of the birthday.
Which one should you use?
The form Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños uses informal pronouns, while Dios lo bendiga en su cumpleaños is the formal version used for people you address with usted.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, you might say Que Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños. In Spain, the expression Que Dios te colme de bendiciones en tu cumpleaños is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb bendiga is in the subjunctive mood, which is used here to express a wish or a desire.
Did you know?
- In Mexico, a birthday blessing might be followed by la mordida, a tradition where the birthday person's face is pushed into the cake after their first bite.
- While English speakers say 'God bless you' after a sneeze, Spanish speakers rarely use Dios te bendiga for this purpose, reserving it for sincere wishes and milestones.
- The word Dios is a very distant linguistic relative of the English word 'day', as both trace back to an ancient root meaning 'sky' or 'heaven'.
Examples in context
- Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños, hija.God bless you on your birthday, daughter.
- Querida amiga, Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños.Dear friend, God bless you on your birthday.
- Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños y siempre.God bless you on your birthday and always.
Example conversation
María is calling Alejandro to wish him a happy birthday.
- María¡Hola Alejandro! Dios te bendiga en tu cumpleaños.Hello Alejandro! God bless you on your birthday.
- AlejandroMuchas gracias, María. Qué amable eres.Thank you very much, María. How kind you are.
- MaríaEspero que pases un día maravilloso.I hope you have a wonderful day.
- AlejandroGracias, te veo pronto.Thanks, I'll see you soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dios, cumpleaños, dios, en, te, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
