Feliz cumpleaños, abuela
/feˈliθ kumpleˈaɲos aˈbwela/word by word
To say "happy birthday grandma" in Spanish, you say Feliz cumpleaños, abuela.
This phrase is a greeting used to wish a grandmother a happy birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of feliz (happy), cumpleaños (birthday) and abuela (grandma).
Which one should you use?
While Feliz cumpleaños, abuela uses the standard term for grandma, you can also use Feliz cumpleaños, abuelita to be more endearing and warm.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˈliθ kumpleˈaɲos aˈbwela/
Did you know?
- In some regions, it is customary to give a loud, celebratory shout or a 'mordida' (a bite) where the birthday person's face is pushed into the cake after the wishes are said.
- The word cumpleaños is a literal way of saying one has 'fulfilled' their years, suggesting that each year is a task or a cycle successfully completed.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, birthdays are celebrated with las mañanitas, a traditional song that is often sung to the birthday person instead of or in addition to the standard 'Happy Birthday' song.
Examples in context
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Abuelita!Happy Birthday, Granny!
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños a la abuela más cariñosa del mundo!Happy birthday to the most loving grandma in the world!
- Feliz cumpleaños, abuela.Happy birthday, grandma.
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, abuela! Te quiero mucho.Happy birthday, grandma! I love you very much.
Example conversation
Daniel gives a gift to his grandmother.
- Daniel¡Feliz cumpleaños, abuela!Happy birthday, grandma!
- ElenaGracias, Daniel, qué amable eres.Thank you, Daniel, how kind you are.
- DanielTengo un regalo para ti.I have a gift for you.
- Elena¡Qué sorpresa, muchas gracias!What a surprise, thank you very much!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (feliz, cumpleaños, abuela) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abuela, cumpleaños, feliz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
