كل عام وأنت بخير
kull 'am wa-anta bi-khayr
The phrase for "happy birthday in islam" in Arabic is كل عام وأنت بخير (kull 'am wa-anta bi-khayr).
This phrase is a traditional greeting used to wish someone well on their birthday or during an annual celebration.
How do you pronounce it?
kull 'am wa-anta bi-khayr
Did you know?
- While كل عام وأنت بخير is common for birthdays, some conservative Muslims avoid celebrating birthdays entirely, preferring to use this phrase only for religious holidays like 'Eid'.
- While used for birthdays, كل عام وأنت بخير is a versatile greeting also used for 'Eid al-Fitr' and 'Eid al-Adha'. It functions as a general wish for wellness to recur every year.
- While many people think of 'year' as سنة (sana), this greeting uses عام (ʿām), which carries a more positive and smooth connotation for time passing.
Examples in context
- كل عام وأنت بخير يا صديقي.Kullu 'am wa anta bi-khayr ya sadiqi.Happy birthday, my friend.
- أريد أن أقول لك: كل عام وأنت بخير.Urīdu an aqūla laka: Kullu 'am wa anta bi-khayr.I want to say to you: Happy birthday.
Example conversation
Ahmed is greeting Nour on her birthday.
- أحمد Ahmedكل عام وأنت بخير يا نور!Kull 'am wa anti bikhayr ya Nour!Happy birthday, Nour!
- نور Nourوأنت بخير يا أحمد، شكراً لك.Wa anta bikhayr ya Ahmed, shukran lak.And you be well too, Ahmed, thank you.
- أحمد Ahmedأتمنى لك سنة سعيدة.Atamanna laki sana sa'ida.I wish you a happy year.
- نور Nourشكراً جزيلاً على تهنئتك.Shukran jazilan 'ala tahni'atik.Thank you very much for your greeting.
