おたんじょうびおめでとうございます
otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasupolite
Happy birthday in hiragana is おたんじょうびおめでとう (otanjōbi omedetō) among friends and おたんじょうびおめでとうございます (otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu) in polite speech. Both are fully written in hiragana in cards.
Meaning: birthday greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| おたんじょうびおめでとうございます | otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu | polite |
| おたんじょうびおめでとう | otanjōbi omedetō | casual |
Friends often shorten it to おめでとう when the context is clear.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Add ございます when speaking to a boss, a teacher or an older person.
How does it change in a sentence?
たんじょうび (tanjōbi) means birthday and おめでとう (omedetō) means congratulations. The honorific お goes before たんじょうび.
Did you know?
- Age twenty has its own word, はたち (hatachi), which is written only in hiragana in daily use and marks the start of adulthood in Japan.
Examples in context
- おたんじょうびおめでとう、はなこ。Otanjōbi omedetō, Hanako.Happy birthday, Hanako.
- おたんじょうびおめでとうございます、せんせい。Otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu, sensei.Happy birthday, teacher.
Example conversation
Mio surprises her friend Hanako with a cake.
- Mioおたんじょうびおめでとう。Otanjōbi omedetō.Happy birthday.
- Hanakoありがとう、うれしい。Arigatō, ureshii.Thank you, I am happy.
- Mioろうそくをふいてね。Rōsoku o fuite ne.Blow out the candles.
