feliz cumpleaños abuelo
/feliθ kumpleaɲos abwelo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "happy birthday grandpa" is translated into Spanish as feliz cumpleaños abuelo.
This phrase is a greeting used to wish a grandfather a happy birthday. You can also use the shorter phrase feliz cumpleaños on its own as a general birthday greeting without specifying the recipient.
Which one should you use?
To say "happy birthday grandma", replace abuelo with abuela.
How does it change in a sentence?
In informal contexts, using the diminutive form abuelito instead of abuelo is a very common way to express affection when wishing a grandfather a happy birthday.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, a grandfather might be celebrated with a mordida, where the birthday person's face is pushed into the cake after the greeting.
- The word cumpleaños is a compound of cumple, meaning 'to fulfill', and años, meaning 'years'. It literally describes a birthday as a 'year-fulfiller'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, instead of just saying feliz cumpleaños, people might sing 'Las Mañanitas', a traditional song often played for birthdays.
Examples in context
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Abuelo! Espero que hoy y siempre te rodeen la felicidad y el amor de tu familia.Happy Birthday, Grandpa! I hope that today and always you are surrounded by happiness and the love of your family.
- Le deseo un feliz cumpleaños, estimado abuelo. Que esta nueva etapa de la vida esté llena de satisfacciones y bendiciones.I wish you a happy birthday, esteemed Grandpa. May this new stage of life be filled with fulfillment and blessings.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are visiting their grandfather's house for a party.
- Javier¡Feliz cumpleaños abuelo!Happy birthday grandpa!
- ElenaGracias, Javier. Qué bueno verte.Thank you, Javier. It is good to see you.
- JavierElena también quiere saludarte.Elena also wants to greet you.
- ElenaHola, Elena. Ven aquí.Hello, Elena. Come here.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abuelo, cumpleaños, feliz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
