Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| parabéns | /pa.ɾaˈbẽj̃s/ (Brazil) /pa.ɾaˈbẽj̃ʃ/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
| feliz aniversário | /feˈliz a.ni.veʁˈsa.ɾju/ (Brazil) |
To wish someone a happy birthday, you can use parabéns or feliz aniversário. Parabéns is the standard exclamation used when you first greet someone on their birthday or when they are blowing out their candles. If you want to use a verb to express the action of wishing someone a happy birthday, you can use felicitar pelo aniversário.
What does it mean word for word?
The word parabéns literally means 'congratulations'.
Which one should you use?
While both express birthday wishes, parabéns is the most common way to say 'happy birthday' in Brazil, though it is also used to mean 'congratulations' for any achievement. Feliz aniversário is a more literal translation of 'happy birthday' and is considered slightly more formal or specific than parabéns.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word parabéns has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable. It is pronounced /pa.ɾaˈbẽj̃s/.
When do people say it?
In Portuguese, Parabéns a você is the title and the standard lyrics used for the version of the 'Happy Birthday' song.
Did you know?
- The word feliz has a surprising ancient connection to the concept of 'suckling'. It stems from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰeh₁-lw-i, which relates to nourishing a child.
- Because parabéns literally means 'congratulations', the Portuguese language treats a birthday as an achievement or a victory to be celebrated.
Examples in context
- Eu disse feliz aniversário.I say happy birthday.This sentence shows the use of feliz aniversário.Tatoeba #6677813 by Ricardo14, translation #1216270 by jared1981
- Feliz aniversário para você.Happy birthday to you.Tatoeba #13967685 by carlosalberto, translation #10117415 by espamatics
- Feliz Aniversário, minha amiga!Happy birthday, my friend!Tatoeba #2395522 by Ricardo14, translation #2652925 by Ricardo14
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila greets Gabriel at a small birthday party.
- CamilaParabéns, Gabriel!Congratulations, Gabriel!
- GabrielMuito obrigado, Camila.Thank you very much, Camila.
- CamilaVocê vai comemorar muito hoje?Are you going to celebrate a lot today?
- GabrielSim, vou sair com meus amigos.Yes, I am going out with my friends.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries parabéns, feliz aniversário, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aniversário, feliz, parabéns, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
