Zorionak zuri
/s̻oɾionak s̻uɾi/word by word
In Basque, 'happy birthday' is expressed as Zorionak zuri.
The phrase is used to offer good wishes for someone's birthday.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'Congratulations to you'.
How do you pronounce it?
/s̻oɾionak s̻uɾi/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Zorionak zu. You must use the dative case zuri to correctly express the meaning 'to you'.
Did you know?
- The word zuri may have distant roots in the Proto-Basque word for 'wood'.
- In Basque, the word for 'happiness' zorion is closely linked to the idea of luck and fortune. Wishing someone zorionak is effectively wishing them a stroke of good fortune.
- The word zorionak is used for any celebratory occasion, not just birthdays. You can say it for weddings, anniversaries and graduations as a general way to say 'congratulations'.
Examples in context
- Zorionak zuri.Happy birthday to you!This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase Zorionak zuri.Tatoeba #932234 by aye1995, translation #64233 by shekitten
- Zorionak zuri, gaur zure egundea da.Happy birthday to you, today is your day.
Example conversation
Maite greets Gaizka at a party.
- MaiteZorionak zuri, Gaizka!Happy birthday, Gaizka!
- GaizkaEskerrik asko, Maite!Thank you, Maite!
- MaiteHau zuretako oparia da.This is the gift for you.
- GaizkaOso pozita nago!I am very happy!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (zorionak, zuri) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zorionak, zuri, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
