생일 축하해 정국
saeng-il chukahae jeong-guk
The English phrase "happy birthday jungkook" is translated into Korean as 생일 축하해 정국 (saeng-il chukahae jeong-guk).
This phrase is a greeting used to wish a person named Jungkook a happy birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the word 생일 (saeng-il), which literally means "birthday".
Which one should you use?
The default form 생일 축하해 정국 uses banmal, which is informal speech. Other variations exist depending on the level of politeness and how the name is addressed.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a name informally, adding the particle 아 to the end of the name, as seen in 정국아, 생일 축하해!, shows familiarity with the person.
How do you pronounce it?
saeng-il chukahae jeong-guk
Did you know?
- Korean speakers often count a person's age as one the moment they are born, meaning a baby is considered one year old on their birthday.
- In many Korean social settings, instead of just saying 'happy birthday', friends might ask if you ate 'seaweed soup' (미역국), as eating this specific dish is the traditional way to celebrate a birthday.
- While the phrase 생일 축하해 is common, if you were wishing a much older person a happy birthday, you must change the noun to 생신 to show proper respect. Using the standard 생일 for an elder can actually be seen as rude.
Example conversation
Two friends are decorating a room for a party.
- 수빈 Su-bin이 케이크 진짜 예쁘다.i ke-i-keu jin-jja ye-ppeu-da.This cake is really pretty.
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 정국이가 좋아할 거야.eung, Jeong-guk-i-ga jo-ah-hal geo-ya.Yeah, Jungkook will like it.
- 수빈 Su-bin생일 축하해 정국! 이라고 적자.saeng-il chuk-hae Jeong-guk! i-ra-go jeok-ja.Let's write 'Happy birthday Jungkook!'
- 도현 Do-hyeon좋아, 그렇게 적어줘.jo-ah, geu-reoh-ge jeok-eo-jwo.Great, write it like that.
