엄마, 생일 축하해요
eomma, saeng-il chukahaeyo
The English phrase "happy birthday mom" is translated into Korean as 엄마, 생일 축하해요 (eomma, saeng-il chukahaeyo).
This phrase is used to wish one's mother a happy birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 엄마 (mom), 생일 (birthday) and 축하해요 (congratulations/celebrate) in a polite form.
Which one should you use?
You can use the casual 생일 축하해, 엄마! if you have a very close, informal relationship with your mother. For highly formal situations, you may use 생신 축하합니다, 어머니. or 어머니의 생신을 축하드립니다.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality in Korean depends on the words chosen for both 'mother' and 'birthday'. For a more respectful and formal tone, use 어머니, 생신 축하드려요, which uses the honorific 어머니 (mother) and the honorific word for birthday, 생신. Using the casual 축하해 instead of 축하해요 makes the phrase informal, which is common between children and their mothers in close relationships.
How do you pronounce it?
eomma, saeng-il chukahaeyo
Did you know?
- Traditionally, some Koreans eat 미역국 (miyeok-guk), a seaweed soup, on their birthday to honor their mother, as this is the soup mothers typically eat after giving birth to recover.
- In Korea, the most important birthday is not the one you were born on, but your first birthday, called 돌 (dol), which is celebrated with a traditional table of food and a special ceremony.
- Depending on the family's traditionalism, some Koreans celebrate their birthday based on the lunar calendar rather than the solar calendar used in the West.
Examples in context
- 생신 축하합니다, 어머니. 건강하시고 행복한 하루 되세요.(I congratulate you on your birthday, Mom. I wish you a healthy and happy day.)
- 엄마, 생일 축하해요. 사랑해요.Eomma, saeng-il chukha-haeyo. Sarang-haeyo.Happy birthday, mom. I love you.
Example conversation
Minjun is giving a cake to his mother while Subin helps.
- 민준 Min-jun엄마, 생일 축하해요!eomma, saeng-il chuk-ha-hae-yo!Happy birthday, mom!
- 수빈 Su-bin고마워, 민준아!go-ma-wo, min-jun-a!Thank you, Minjun!
- 민준 Min-jun수빈이랑 같이 준비했어요.su-bin-i-rang gat-i jun-bi-haess-eo-yo.Subin and I prepared this together.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 감동적이구나.jeong-mal gam-dong-jeok-i-gu-na.I'm really touched.
