feliz cumpleaños atrasado
/feliθ kumpleaɲos atɾasado/from spelling rules
The English phrase "happy belated birthday" is translated into Spanish as feliz cumpleaños atrasado.
feliz cumpleaños atrasado is a greeting used to wish someone a happy birthday after the actual date has passed.
How do you pronounce it?
/feliθ kumpleaɲos atɾasado/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to celebrate el santo, the feast day of the saint one is named after, as a second birthday.
- The word cumpleaños is a literal construction of 'fulfills' and 'years'. In Spanish, you do not just celebrate your age, but rather the way you have 'fulfilled' your years of life.
- While feliz cumpleaños atrasado is grammatically correct, many native speakers avoid the word atrasado in this context because it can also mean 'behind schedule' or 'delayed' in a sense similar to a late train.
Examples in context
- Hola [Name], ¡feliz cumpleaños atrasado! Perdona la tardanza, pero espero que hayas pasado un día genial rodeado/a de las personas que más quieres.Hi [Name], happy belated birthday! Sorry for the delay, but I hope you had a great day surrounded by the people you love most.
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños atrasado, amigo!Happy belated birthday, friend!
- Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños atrasado.I wish you a happy belated birthday.
- Siento llegar tarde, ¡feliz cumpleaños atrasado!I am sorry for being late, happy belated birthday!
Example conversation
Daniel calls Sofía to wish her a happy birthday after the date.
- DanielHola Sofía, ¡feliz cumpleaños atrasado!Hello Sofia, happy belated birthday!
- SofíaMuchas gracias, Daniel. Qué detallista eres.Thank you very much, Daniel. You are so thoughtful.
- DanielEspero que lo hayas pasado muy bien.I hope you had a very good time.
- SofíaSí, fue un día excelente.Yes, it was an excellent day.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries atrasado, cumpleaños, feliz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
