Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| お誕生日おめでとうございます | o-tanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu | [o̞tã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑo̞ːbʲi o̞me̞de̞to̞ː ɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥] (narrow) | formal |
| 誕生日おめでとう | tanjōbi omedetō | [tã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑo̞ːbʲi o̞me̞de̞to̞ː] (narrow) | informal |
The phrase is used to offer good wishes for a birthday. While お誕生日おめでとうございます is the standard formal way to express this, you may also hear ハッピーバースデー！, which is a borrowing from English commonly used among younger generations. For extremely formal or respectful contexts, such as celebrating the birth of a person of high status, the phrase ご生誕をお祝い申し上げます。 can be used.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase お誕生日おめでとうございます is composed of the honorific prefix o-, tanjōbi (birthday), omedetō (congratulations) and the polite verb gozaimasu.
Which one should you use?
The choice of phrase depends on the level of respect required. The version including the o- prefix and the gozaimasu ending is used for superiors, elders or people you are not close to. Conversely, the version without the o- prefix and the gozaimasu ending is used for friends, family or people younger than you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お誕生日おめでとうございます is the formal version. 誕生日おめでとう is the informal version. There is also a polite but slightly less formal middle ground, お誕生日おめでとう, which uses the honorific o- prefix but omits gozaimasu.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the honorific o- to tanjōbi while omitting gozaimasu creates a polite but slightly less formal tone than the full version.
How do you pronounce it?
o-tanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu
When do people say it?
When someone says happy birthday to you, a standard response is ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu), meaning thank you.
Did you know?
- In some traditional circles, the 60th birthday is known as kanreki, signifying the completion of one full zodiac cycle and a symbolic 'rebirth' as a child.
- The word omedetō comes from a root meaning 'to be auspicious', suggesting that the birthday is a lucky or blessed event.
- When saying お誕生日おめでとうございます, a slight bow of the head is often added to show respect, especially when speaking to an elder or a boss.
Examples in context
- トム、お誕生日おめでとう！Happy birthday, Tom!This sentence shows how to use the informal 誕生日おめでとう when addressing a friend.Tatoeba #9997297 by small_snow, translation #2337263 by Hybrid
- 誕生日おめでとうございます。Happy birthday to you!This sentence demonstrates using 誕生日おめでとう in a sentence.Tatoeba #127350 by bunbuku, translation #64233 by shekitten
- お誕生日おめでとうムーリエル！Happy birthday, Muiriel!This sentence shows an example of using the informal 誕生日おめでとう with a name.Tatoeba #4706 by bunbuku, translation #355041 by human600
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori congratulates her older brother on his birthday.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太さん、お誕生日おめでとうございます！Yōta-san, otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu!Happy birthday, Yota!
- 陽太 Yotaありがとう、陽葵。Arigatō, Hiyori.Thank you, Hiyori.
- 陽葵 Himariプレゼントをどうぞ。Purezento o dōzo.Here is your present.
- 陽太 Yota嬉しいよ。ありがとう。Ureshii yo. Arigatō.I'm so happy. Thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries お誕生日おめでとうございます, 誕生日おめでとう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
