penblwydd hapus
/pɛmˌbluːɨ̯ð ˈhapɨ̞s/
penblwydd hapus is the Welsh way to say happy birthday.
The phrase is used to offer good wishes to someone on their birthday.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a combination of penblwydd (birthday) and hapus (happy). The word penblwydd is itself a compound of pen (head) and blwydd (year).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you need to refer to multiple birthdays, the plural form of the phrase is penblwyddau hapus.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛmˌbluːɨ̯ð ˈhapɨ̞s/
Did you know?
- The word hapus is a 'calque', meaning it was specifically engineered to mirror the English word 'happy' by using the Welsh word 'hap' for 'luck' or 'chance'.
- While 'penblwydd hapus' is common, a more traditional way to wish someone a happy birthday is to say 'Penblwydd da i ti', which translates to 'A good birthday to you'.
- While penblwydd hapus is standard, you might hear the phrase Llongyfarchion used instead, which means 'congratulations' and focuses on the achievement of reaching another year.
Examples in context
- Penblwydd hapus i ti!Happy birthday to you!
- Penblwydd hapus i bawb!Happy birthday to everyone!
- Dych chi am ddweud penblwydd hapus?Do you want to say happy birthday?
Example conversation
Elowen gives Owain a gift.
- ElowenPenblwydd hapus, Owain!Happy birthday, Owain!
- OwainDiolch yn fawr, Elowen!Thank you very much, Elowen!
- ElowenHopi di'n hoffi'r anrheg?Do you like the gift?
- OwainYdw, mae hi'n hyfryg.Yes, it is lovely.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries penblwydd hapus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hapus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
