Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| alles Gute zum Geburtstag | /ˈʔaləs ˈɡuːtə tsʊm ɡəˈbuːɐ̯tstaːk/ | |
| herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag | ||
| viel Glück zum Geburtstag | informal |
These phrases are used to express good wishes for a birthday. While alles Gute zum Geburtstag is the most common and standard way to say happy birthday, you might also see herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag used for a more emphatic tone. For a very informal touch, you can use viel Glück zum Geburtstag.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase alles Gute zum Geburtstag literally translates to 'all the best for the birthday'. The phrase herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag literally translates to 'heartfelt congratulations on the birthday'.
Which one should you use?
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag is the standard version suitable for almost any situation. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag is slightly more formal or emphatic than the standard version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag is commonly used informally. For an informal context, you can say viel Glück zum Geburtstag or the short and friendly Gratuliere zum Geburtstag! to mean 'Congratulations on your birthday!' If you want to be particularly polite, you can use the phrase Wir wünschen Ihnen alles Gute zum Geburtstag! to say 'We wish you all the best on your birthday!'
How does it change in a sentence?
The word zum is a contraction of zu dem (to the/for the), which is used to indicate the occasion for the wishes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔaləs ˈɡuːtə tsʊm ɡəˈbuːɐ̯tstaːk/
When do people say it?
You can also say Genieße deinen Tag! to mean 'Enjoy your day!'
Did you know?
- In Germany, it is considered extremely bad luck to wish someone alles Gute zum Geburtstag before their actual birthday. Avoid congratulating someone even a day early to prevent bringing them misfortune.
- The word Glück in herzlichen Glückwunsch may have been borrowed into High German from Old Dutch during the era of Flemish knight culture.
- The term Geburtstag is a compound of 'birth' and 'day', but the 's' in the middle is a 'Fugenlaut', a grammatical filler used to make the word easier to pronounce.
Examples in context
- Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Rumänien!Happy Birthday, Romania!This example uses alles Gute zum Geburtstag to wish a happy birthday to a country.Tatoeba #3668435 by al_ex_an_der, translation #3668483 by danepo
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Tom!Happy birthday, Tom!This example uses herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag to wish a happy birthday to Tom.Tatoeba #2338004 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2337263 by Hybrid
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Opa!Happy birthday, Grandpa.This example uses herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag to wish a happy birthday to Grandpa.Tatoeba #6705837 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2650908 by meerkat
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix is giving a gift to Hannah.
- FelixAlles Gute zum Geburtstag, Hannah!Happy birthday, Hannah!
- HannahVielen Dank, Felix!Thank you very much, Felix!
- FelixHier ist ein kleines Geschenk für dich.Here is a small gift for you.
- HannahDas ist so lieb von dir!That is so sweet of you!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries alles Gute zum Geburtstag, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Geburtstag, Glück, Glückwunsch, alles, alles Gute zum Geburtstag, viel, zum, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
