buon compleanno
/ˈbwɔn kom.pleˈan.no/
The English phrase 'happy birthday' is translated into Italian as buon compleanno.
You use buon compleanno to express good wishes for someone's birthday. To say 'Happy birthday to [someone]', use the preposition a followed by the person, such as Buon compleanno a Maria. Other common variations include Auguri di buon compleanno or Auguri per il tuo compleanno, which both mean 'Best wishes for your birthday' and Tanti auguri di buon compleanno for 'Many happy returns of the day'. You can also say molti auguri to mean 'many happy returns'.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of buon (good) and compleanno (birthday).
Which one should you use?
While buon compleanno is the direct translation of 'happy birthday', a very common alternative is Tanti auguri!, which translates to 'Many wishes!' and is often used as the standard birthday greeting. For a more formal way to say 'I wish you the best for your birthday', you can use Le faccio i migliori auguri per il suo compleanno'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase buon compleanno, the adjective buon is the truncated form of buono used before a masculine noun starting with a consonant.
How do you pronounce it?
It has four syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The term auguri comes from the ancient Roman augures, who were priests that interpreted the will of the gods by observing the flight of birds.
- Unlike in some English-speaking cultures where a 'birthday treat' is common, in Italy the person celebrating the compleanno is often the one who treats their friends to cake, drinks or dinner.
- The word compleanno is a partial calque of the Spanish word cumpleaños, adapted to combine the Italian word for 'year' anno with the verb compiere, meaning 'to complete' or 'to fulfill'.
Examples in context
- Buon compleanno a tuo figlio!Happy birthday to your son!This sentence shows how to use buon compleanno to wish a happy birthday to someone's son.Tatoeba #5765959 by Guybrush88, translation #2182055 by Eldad
- Buon compleanno a tuo marito!Happy birthday to your husband!This sentence shows how to use buon compleanno to wish a happy birthday to someone's husband.Tatoeba #12852200 by Guybrush88, translation #2182056 by Eldad
- Buon compleanno a tua moglie!Happy birthday to your wife!This sentence shows how to use buon compleanno to wish a happy birthday to someone's wife.Tatoeba #12853275 by Guybrush88, translation #2182053 by Eldad
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are meeting at a café for his birthday.
- GiuliaEhi Matteo, buon compleanno!Hey Matteo, happy birthday!
- MatteoGrazie mille, Giulia!Thanks a lot, Giulia!
- GiuliaHai qualche programma per stasera?Do you have any plans for tonight?
- MatteoNo, ancora non lo so.No, I don't know yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries buon compleanno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries compleanno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
