생일 축하해요
saeng'il chukha-haeyo[sʰɛŋiɭ t͡ɕʰukʰa̠ɦɛjo]informal, polite
To say happy birthday in Korean, the default form is 생일 축하해요 (saeng'il chukha-haeyo). Wiktionary also lists 생신 축하드립니다 (saengsin chukha-deurimnida) and 생일 축하합니다 (saeng'il chukha-hamnida).
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 생일 축하해요 | saeng'il chukha-haeyo | [sʰɛŋiɭ t͡ɕʰukʰa̠ɦɛjo] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [sʰe̞ŋiɭ t͡ɕʰukʰa̠ɦe̞jo] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
informal, polite |
| 생신 축하드립니다 | saengsin chukha-deurimnida | formal | |
| 생일 축하합니다 | saeng'il chukha-hamnida | formal | |
| 생일 축하해 | saeng'il chukha-hae | informal |
These phrases are used to express good wishes for someone's birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The word for birthday is composed of 생 (birth) and 일 (day).
Which one should you use?
Use 생신 instead of 생일 when addressing elders or people of much higher social status to show respect.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
생신 축하드립니다 and 생일 축하합니다 are formal ways to express the wish. 생일 축하해요 is the standard polite way to wish someone a happy birthday in everyday social situations. 생일 축하해 is the informal version used with close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
saeng'il chukha-haeyo
Did you know?
- Depending on the family, some Koreans may celebrate their 'Korean age' birthday, which counts a person as one year old from the moment of conception.
- In Korea, it is traditional to eat 미역국 (seaweed soup) on your birthday to honor the mother who gave birth to you, as this soup is rich in nutrients common in postpartum diets.
- During a first birthday party, a child might perform a ritual called 돌잡이 (doljabi), where they pick up an object to predict their future career.
Examples in context
- 생일 축하해 Muiriel!Happy birthday, Muiriel!This sentence shows how to use the informal form 생일 축하해 when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #5355 by cueyayotl, translation #355041 by human600
- 생일 축하해요, 지은 씨!saeng-il chuk-ha-hae-yo, Ji-eun ssi!Happy birthday, Jieun!
Example conversation
Dohyun greets Jieun at a cafe on her birthday.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은 씨, 생일 축하해요!Ji-eun ssi, saeng-il chuk-ha-hae-yo!Jieun, happy birthday!
- 지은 Ji-eun고마워요, 도현 씨.go-ma-wo-yo, Do-hyeon ssi.Thank you, Dohyun.
- 도현 Do-hyeon선물 여기 있어요.seon-mul yeo-gi iss-eo-yo.Here is a gift.
- 지은 Ji-eun정말 감사합니다!jeong-mal gam-sa-ham-ni-da!Thank you so much!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries 생일 축하해요, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
