Cumpleaños feliz
/kumpleaɲos feliθ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "happy birthday song" is translated into Spanish as Cumpleaños feliz.
Cumpleaños feliz refers specifically to the lyrics of the traditional song sung to celebrate a person's birthday.
Which one should you use?
While Cumpleaños feliz is the standard lyric for the song, Feliz cumpleaños is the more common way to say the greeting "Happy birthday" in conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people often sing Las Mañanitas (The Morning Glories) instead of or in addition to Cumpleaños feliz to celebrate a birthday.
How do you pronounce it?
/kumpleaɲos feliθ/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American cultures, after the song is finished, guests might shout '¡Mordida!' to encourage the birthday person to take a bite of the cake while their face is pushed into it.
- The word cumpleaños literally translates to 'fulfills years' because it implies the person has completed or fulfilled a cycle of years.
- In Mexico, the song Las Mañanitas is often sung very early in the morning, sometimes by a Mariachi band, to wake the birthday person up.
Examples in context
- Cantemos el Cumpleaños feliz.Let's sing the happy birthday song.
- Me encanta la melodía de Cumpleaños feliz.I love the melody of the happy birthday song.
- Todos cantaron Cumpleaños feliz para ella.Everyone sang the happy birthday song for her.
Example conversation
Maria and Daniel are at a birthday party with a cake.
- María¡Ya trajeron el pastel!They brought the cake already!
- DanielEntonces, cantemos Cumpleaños feliz.Then, let's sing the happy birthday song.
- MaríaSí, todos prepárense.Yes, everyone get ready.
- DanielUno, dos, tres…One, two, three…
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cumpleaños, feliz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
