Feliz cumpleaños, hijo
/feˈliθ kumpleˈaɲos ˈixo/word by word
The English phrase "happy birthday my son" is translated into Spanish as Feliz cumpleaños, hijo.
This phrase is a greeting used to wish a male child a happy birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Happy birthday, son" because the possessive "my" (mi) is often omitted in Spanish when addressing family members directly.
Which one should you use?
While Feliz cumpleaños, hijo is the most natural way to say it, adding mi (my) makes the phrase sound more emphatic or sentimental. You can also say Que tengas un cumpleaños fantástico, mi niño, which is a phrase used to wish a son a fantastic birthday.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˈliθ kumpleˈaɲos ˈixo/
Did you know?
- In Mexico, the birthday celebration for a son often involves the tradition of la mordida, where the birthday boy is encouraged to take a bite of the cake before anyone uses a fork.
- The word cumpleaños is a compound word that literally means 'year-fulfiller' because it describes the act of fulfilling or completing a certain number of years.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is customary to sing Las Mañanitas instead of or in addition to the standard 'happy birthday' song when celebrating a child's birthday.
Examples in context
- Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños, hijo.I wish you a happy birthday, son.
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, hijo, te quiero mucho!Happy birthday, son, I love you very much!
Example conversation
Lucía gives a gift to her son Daniel.
- DanielGracias, mamá.Thanks, mom.
- LucíaDe nada. ¡Feliz cumpleaños, hijo!You're welcome. Happy birthday, son!
- Daniel¿Qué es el regalo?What is the gift?
- Lucía¡Ábrelo ahora, Daniel!Open it now, Daniel!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (feliz, cumpleaños, hijo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cumpleaños, feliz, hijo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
