feliz aniversário, meu amor
/feˈlis a.ni.veʁˈsa.ɾju mew aˈmoʁ/word by word
feliz aniversário, meu amor is the Portuguese way to say happy birthday my love.
This is a romantic greeting used to wish a partner a happy birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of feliz (happy), aniversário (anniversary/birthday), meu (my) and amor (love).
Which one should you use?
While feliz aniversário specifically means happy birthday, you might hear the single word parabéns used as a shorthand way to say congratulations or happy birthday in casual settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive adjective meu must be masculine to agree with the masculine noun amor, even if the person being addressed is female.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˈlis a.ni.veʁˈsa.ɾju mew aˈmoʁ/. The phrase has 7 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word feliz shares an ancient root with the English word 'suckle', stemming from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'to suckle'.
- In Brazil, a common birthday tradition involves the 'parabéns' song, which is often sung with rhythmic clapping that sounds like a drum roll.
- Portuguese differentiates between 'birthday' and 'anniversary' by using aniversário for both, meaning context is the only way to tell if someone is celebrating a birth or a wedding.
Examples in context
- Eu te amo, feliz aniversário, meu amor.I love you, happy birthday, my love.
- Você merece tudo, feliz aniversário, meu amor.You deserve everything, happy birthday, my love.
Example conversation
Lucas surprises Beatriz with flowers at home.
- LucasFeliz aniversário, meu amor!Happy birthday, my love!
- BeatrizObrigada, Lucas! Eu adorei as flores.Thank you, Lucas! I loved the flowers.
- LucasVocê está linda hoje.You look beautiful today.
- BeatrizVocê é muito carinhoso.You are so affectionate.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (feliz, aniversário, meu, amor) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amor, aniversário, feliz, meu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
