Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| feliz cumpleaños | /feˌliθ kumpleˈaɲos/ /feˌlis kumpleˈaɲos/ |
|
| feliz cumple | /feliθ kumple/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /felis kumple/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
familiar |
The phrase is used to express good wishes to someone on their birthday. Besides the standard phrase, people often say ¡Muchas felicidades! (Many congratulations!) or the informal ¡Muchas felicidades en tu día! (Many congratulations on your day!). A more colloquial way to extend these wishes is to say Que la pases super en tu cumple (Have a great time on your birthday).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase feliz cumpleaños literally means "happy birthday". It is composed of feliz (happy) and cumpleaños (birthday). The word cumpleaños is a compound of cumplir (to fulfill or complete) and años (years).
Which one should you use?
While feliz cumpleaños is the standard way to offer wishes, feliz cumple is a shortened, more casual version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Feliz cumpleaños is the standard form. Feliz cumple is a casual and shortened version used among friends and family.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cumpleaños is always plural in form, even when you are referring to a single birthday.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˌliθ kumpleˈaɲos/
Did you know?
- In Mexico, a birthday celebration often features a piñata, and the custom of mordida involves pushing the birthday person's face into the cake after they make a wish.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to sing Las Mañanitas instead of or in addition to the standard birthday song to wake the birthday person up with music.
- In various Latin American countries, the 'Quinceañera' is a massive celebration for a 15th birthday that functions more like a debutante ball than a standard feliz cumpleaños party.
Examples in context
- Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños.I wish you a happy birthday.This sentence shows how to use the own form feliz cumpleaños to wish someone a happy birthday.Tatoeba #1187273 by Shishir, translation #897532 by CM
- Te deseo un retrasado feliz cumpleaños.Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday.Tatoeba #5628428 by albrusgher, translation #3595119 by DostKaplan
- ¡Feliz cumple!Happy Birthday!This sentence shows how to use the own form feliz cumple to say happy birthday.Tatoeba #3490513 by cueyayotl, translation #5229053 by jaxhere
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, querido amigo! Que este día te traiga alegría y bendiciones.Happy birthday, dear friend! May this day bring you joy and blessings.
- ¡Feliz cumple, hermano! Espero que cumplas todos tus sueños y que este año esté lleno de éxitos.Happy birthday, brother! I hope you achieve all your dreams and that this year is filled with success.
- Muchas felicidades en tu día, abuelita. Eres el pilar de nuestra familia y te deseamos un cumpleaños inolvidable.Many congratulations on your day, grandma. You are the cornerstone of our family, and we wish you an unforgettable birthday.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía visits Daniel at his house to celebrate his birthday.
- Lucía¡Feliz cumpleaños, Daniel!Happy birthday, Daniel!
- DanielMuchas gracias, Lucía.Thank you very much, Lucía.
- LucíaEspero que tengas un gran día.I hope you have a great day.
- DanielGracias, lo voy a disfrutar mucho.Thanks, I am going to enjoy it a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries feliz cumpleaños, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
