selamat ulang tahun
To say "happy birthday" in Indonesian, use selamat ulang tahun.
selamat ulang tahun is the standard greeting used to wish someone a happy birthday. While the word selamat can mean "happy" in many different contexts, in this specific combination, it functions as a fixed greeting for a birthday.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of selamat (congratulations, safety or happiness), ulang (repeat) and tahun (year), which literally translates to "congratulations on the repeating year".
How does it change in a sentence?
Selamat ulang tahun! can be used as a standalone exclamation without needing a subject or a verb in front of it.
When do people say it?
A formal way to express good wishes during a birthday is to say Semoga panjang umur, which means "May you have a long life."
Did you know?
- In some traditional Javanese contexts, the concept of 'birthday' is linked to weton, a calculation based on the seven-day week and the five-day Javanese market cycle.
- In Indonesia, birthdays are often celebrated with tumpeng, a cone-shaped yellow rice dish that symbolizes a mountain and a connection to the divine.
- The word selamat in the greeting shares its Arabic roots with the word 'salām', which relates to 'peace' or 'safety'. When you wish someone a 'happy' birthday, you are linguistically wishing them 'safety' or 'peace' in their new year.
Examples in context
- Selamat ulang tahun, Tom!Happy birthday, Tom!This is useful for wishing Tom a happy birthday using selamat ulang tahun.Tatoeba #11534041 by Pacific, translation #2337263 by Hybrid
- Selamat ulang tahun, Ziri.Happy birthday, Ziri.This is useful for wishing Ziri a happy birthday using selamat ulang tahun.Tatoeba #12184805 by Pacific, translation #10213732 by Amastan
- Selamat ulang tahun, Muiriel!Happy birthday, Muiriel!This is useful for wishing Muiriel a happy birthday using selamat ulang tahun.Tatoeba #366007 by hayabusa_future, translation #355041 by human600
- Selamat ulang tahun, semoga panjang umur, bahagia selalu.Happy birthday, may you have a long life, always be happy.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Budi is giving a gift to Indah.
- IndahSelamat ulang tahun, Indah!Happy birthday, Indah!
- BudiTerima kasih banyak, Budi.Thank you very much, Budi.
- IndahIni kado untukmu.This is a gift for you.
- BudiKamu baik sekali!You are so kind!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries selamat, tahun, ulang, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
