생일 축하해 여동생
saengil chukahae yeodongsaeng
In Korean, "happy birthday little sister" is 생일 축하해 여동생 (saengil chukahae yeodongsaeng).
This phrase is used to wish a younger sister a happy birthday. While 생일 축하해 여동생 is a direct translation, in natural Korean conversation, it is more common to place the person being addressed, 여동생, at the beginning of the sentence or to omit it entirely if the context is already clear.
What does it mean word for word?
생일 (saengil) means "birthday" and 여동생 (yeodongsaeng) means "younger sister".
How do you pronounce it?
saengil chukahae yeodongsaeng
Did you know?
- In traditional Korean culture, the 'first birthday' of a child is a massive celebration called 돌 (dol), which involves a ritual where the child picks an object to predict their future career.
- In Korea, it is rare to call your sister by the word 여동생 to her face. Instead, you would use her given name or a nickname, as 여동생 is primarily used when describing her to someone else.
- If you were wishing a happy birthday to an older sister instead, you could never use this phrase. You would have to switch to a completely different level of politeness and use different honorific titles, regardless of how close you are.
Example conversation
Minjun gives a present to his younger sister Minji.
- 민지 Min-ji오빠, 선물이에요?oppa, seonmul-ieyo?Brother, is this a present?
- 민준 Min-jun응, 생일 축하해 여동생!eung, saeng-il chukha-hae yeodongsaeng!Yes, happy birthday little sister!
- 민지 Min-ji우와, 정말 고마워요!uwa, jeongmal gomawoyo!Wow, thank you so much!
- 민준 Min-jun마음에 들었으면 좋겠다.maeume deureosseumyeon joketda.I hope you like it.
