誕生日おめでとう
tanjōbi omedetōcasual
To a friend, say 誕生日おめでとう (tanjōbi omedetō). Drop the polite ending ございます (gozaimasu) because it sounds too stiff between friends. It is also called お誕生日おめでとう (otanjōbi omedetō) and ハッピーバースデー (happī bāsudē).
Meaning: birthday greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 誕生日おめでとう | tanjōbi omedetō | casual |
| お誕生日おめでとう | otanjōbi omedetō | polite casual |
| ハッピーバースデー | happī bāsudē | playful, loanword |
おめでとう (omedetō) means "congratulations", so the phrase literally says "congratulations on your birthday". Adding お (o) before 誕生日 (tanjōbi) makes it a little softer.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The long form お誕生日おめでとうございます (otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu) is for teachers, bosses and elders. With friends you can also text ハッピーバースデー (happī bāsudē).
Did you know?
- おめでとう (omedetō) is also used for New Year, weddings and graduations, so the same word fits many celebrations.
Examples in context
- お誕生日おめでとう。いい一年になるといいね。Otanjōbi omedetō. Ii ichinen ni naru to ii ne.Happy birthday. I hope it is a good year.
Example conversation
Sota greets his classmate Yuki at school on her birthday.
- Sotaユキ、誕生日おめでとう！Yuki, tanjōbi omedetō!Happy birthday, Yuki!
- Yukiありがとう、覚えててくれたんだ。Arigatō, oboetete kureta n da.Thanks, you remembered.
- Sota当たり前だよ。Atarimae da yo.Of course.
