Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| feliz cumpleaños | /feˌliθ kumpleˈaɲos/ /feˌlis kumpleˈaɲos/ |
|
| feliz cumple | /feliθ kumple/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /felis kumple/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
familiar |
Feliz cumpleaños is used to offer good wishes to someone on their birthday. You may also encounter other celebratory expressions such as ¡Felicidades en tu día!, which means "Congratulations on your day!" or the more elaborate Un año más de vida y bendiciones para ti, meaning "Another year of life and blessings to you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase feliz cumpleaños is composed of feliz, meaning "happy" and cumpleaños, meaning "birthday".
Which one should you use?
While feliz cumpleaños is the standard way to say "Happy Birthday", the shortened version feliz cumple is a more casual way to say "Happy B-Day!" in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Feliz cumple is a familiar version used among friends and family.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cumpleaños is a compound noun that is always used in its plural form, even when you are referring to a single birthday.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˌliθ kumpleˈaɲos/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American cultures, the birthday person might be presented with a 'mordida', where they are playfully pushed face-first into their birthday cake after singing.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, instead of singing 'Happy Birthday', people sing 'Las Mañanitas'. This traditional Mexican song is often used to celebrate birthdays and has a very different melody than the English version.
- The word cumpleaños literally means 'fulfills years'. It suggests that the person is not just aging, but is actively completing or fulfilling a cycle of years.
Examples in context
- Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños.I wish you a happy birthday.This sentence shows how to use the phrase feliz cumpleaños when wishing someone a happy birthday.Tatoeba #1187273 by Shishir, translation #897532 by CM
- Te deseo un retrasado feliz cumpleaños.Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday.Tatoeba #5628428 by albrusgher, translation #3595119 by DostKaplan
- ¡Feliz cumple!Happy Birthday!This sentence shows how to use the short form feliz cumple to wish someone a happy birthday.Tatoeba #3490513 by cueyayotl, translation #5229053 by jaxhere
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are meeting at a cafe to celebrate her birthday.
- Daniel¡Feliz cumpleaños, Lucía!Happy birthday, Lucía!
- LucíaMuchas gracias, Daniel.Thank you so much, Daniel.
- DanielEspero que tengas un día genial.I hope you have a great day.
- LucíaEres muy amable, gracias.You are very kind, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries feliz cumpleaños, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cumpleaños, feliz, feliz cumpleaños, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
