feliz cumpleaños, mi amor
/feˈliθ kumpleˈaɲos mi aˈmoɾ/word by word
The English phrase "happy birthday my love" is translated into Spanish as feliz cumpleaños, mi amor.
This phrase 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), cumpleaños (birthday) and mi amor (my love).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for birthday, cumpleaños, is a compound noun that is always used in its plural form, even when referring to a single birthday. The term of endearment mi amor is grammatically masculine, but it can be used to address any romantic partner regardless of their gender.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˈliθ kumpleˈaɲos mi aˈmoɾ/
When do people say it?
You may also use other informal terms of endearment such as ¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Mi Vida! (Happy Birthday, my life!) or ¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Mi Tesoro! (Happy Birthday, my treasure).
Did you know?
- In many Latin American countries, it is customary to 'mordida' the birthday person by pushing their face into the cake after the greeting.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is traditional to sing Las Mañanitas instead of or in addition to the standard 'happy birthday' song.
- The word cumpleaños literally translates to 'fulfills years'. This suggests that a birthday is not just a date, but the act of completing or fulfilling a cycle of years.
Examples in context
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor!Happy birthday, my love!
- Te amo, feliz cumpleaños, mi amor.I love you, happy birthday, my love.
- Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor, que cumplas muchos más.Happy birthday, my love, may you have many more.
Example conversation
Alejandro surprises Elena with a small cake at home.
- Alejandro¡Sorpresa! Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor.Surprise! Happy birthday, my love.
- Elena¡Oh, Alejandro! Muchas gracias, cariño.Oh, Alejandro! Thank you so much, honey.
- AlejandroEres la mujer más especial para mí.You are the most special woman to me.
- ElenaEres muy dulce, te amo.You are very sweet, I love you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (feliz, cumpleaños, mi, amor) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amor, cumpleaños, feliz, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
