Which one should you use?
In English, the word 'friend' remains the same regardless of gender. In Spanish, you must use amigo if your friend is male and amiga if your friend is female.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations exist: in Argentina, you may hear ¡Feliz cumpleaños, che!, using the local slang che to mean "hey" or "buddy!" In Mexico, ¡Feliz cumpleaños, compadre! is a common way to say "Happy birthday, buddy!" Additionally, the slang term pana can be used in the phrase ¡Felicidades en tu día, pana! to mean "Congratulations on your day, buddy!"
How does it change in a sentence?
Spanish requires gender agreement for the word friend: use amiga for a female friend. If you are wishing a happy birthday to a group of friends, use the plural form amigos. Additionally, when writing these greetings, it is standard in Spanish to use an opening exclamation mark (¡) at the beginning of the phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˈliθ kumpleˈaɲos aˈmiɡo/
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, the greeting feliz cumpleaños may be accompanied by the custom of la mordida, where the birthday person is encouraged to take a bite of the cake without using their hands.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to sing Las Mañanitas instead of or in addition to the standard 'Happy Birthday' song, particularly in Mexico.
- The word cumpleaños is a clever linguistic construction that literally translates to 'fulfills years'.
Examples in context
- Feliz cumpleaños, mi querida amiga. Espero que tu día esté lleno de alegría y amor.Happy birthday, my dear friend. I hope your day is filled with joy and love.
- ¡Feliz cumple, colega! Aprovecha este día al máximo y celebra a lo grande.Happy birthday, pal! Make the most of this day and celebrate big.
- Deseándote un feliz cumpleaños, estimado amigo. Que este nuevo año de vida te traiga muchas bendiciones.Wishing you a happy birthday, dear friend. May this new year of life bring you many blessings.
- Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños, amigo.I wish you a happy birthday, my friend.
- ¡Pásala bien, feliz cumpleaños, amigo!Have a good one, happy birthday, my friend!
Example conversation
María and Daniel are meeting at a cafe for his birthday.
- María¡Hola Daniel! ¡Feliz cumpleaños, amigo!Hello Daniel! Happy birthday, my friend!
- DanielMuchas gracias, María. Qué linda.Thank you so much, María. How kind.
- María¿Estás listo para celebrar?Are you ready to celebrate?
- DanielSí, ¡vamos!Yes, let's go!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (feliz, cumpleaños, amigo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amigo, cumpleaños, feliz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
