til hamingju með afmælið
To say "happy birthday" in Icelandic, use til hamingju með afmælið. If unsure, use til hamingju með afmælið. Wiktionary also lists til hamingju með afmælisdaginn.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
Ways to say it
| Icelandic |
|---|
| til hamingju með afmælið |
| til hamingju með afmælisdaginn |
The phrase is used to express good wishes for someone's birthday. In very casual settings where the context is already clear, you may simply say Til hamingju! to mean "Congratulations!" or "Happy [occasion]!"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase til hamingju með afmælið literally translates to "congratulations with the birthday".
Which one should you use?
The form til hamingju með afmælisdaginn specifically includes the word daginn (the day), which makes the phrase "congratulations with the birthday day".
Did you know?
- The word afmæli is composed of elements meaning 'off' and 'measure', reflecting an ancient way of marking the passage of time.
- The word hamingja in the phrase for 'happy birthday' refers specifically to a type of luck or fortune that follows a person, rather than just a fleeting feeling of joy.
- The word til in this phrase shares a distant ancestor with the Proto-Germanic word for 'goal'.
Examples in context
- Til hamingju með afmælið!Happy birthday!This sentence shows how to use the form til hamingju með afmælið to wish someone a happy birthday.Tatoeba #657247 by Swift, translation #453219 by CM
- Ég vona að þú hafir frábært afmæli.I hope you have a fantastic birthday.
- Til hamingju með afmælið, vinur minn.Happy birthday, my friend.
- Ég vil segja þér til hamingju með afmælið.I want to say happy birthday to you.
Example conversation
Sigurður visits Kristín at her home to celebrate her special day.
- SigurðurTil hamingju með afmælið, Kristín!Happy birthday, Kristín!
- KristínTakk fyrir, Sigurður.Thank you, Sigurður.
- SigurðurErtu tilbúin í veislu?Are you ready for a party?
- KristínJá, ég er mjög spennd.Yes, I am very excited.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries til hamingju með afmælið, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries með, til, til hamingju með afmælið, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
