عيد ميلاد سعيد لي
'īd mīlād sa'īd lī
The English phrase "happy birthday to me" is translated into Arabic as عيد ميلاد سعيد لي ('īd mīlād sa'īd lī).
This phrase is used by an individual to wish themselves a happy birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of عيد (festival/feast), ميلاد (birth), سعيد (happy) and لي (to me/for me).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may use كل سنة وانا طيب, which translates to "Every year and I'm well". In Gulf Arabic, the phrase كل عام وأنا بخير وسلامة is used to wish oneself a happy birthday, specifically including a wish for well-being and safety.
How do you pronounce it?
'īd mīlād sa'īd lī
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, birthdays were historically not celebrated because they were seen as Western customs. This makes the act of wishing oneself a 'happy birthday' a relatively modern social trend.
- The word ميلاد is often used in formal contexts to refer to the Prophet's birth, making the phrase slightly more formal than typical English birthday greetings.
- The word عيد is used not only for birthdays but also for the two most important religious holidays in the Islamic calendar: عيد الفطر and عيد الأضحى.
Example conversation
Omar is posting a photo on social media and Maryam comments on it.
- عمر Omarانظروا إلى صورتي، عيد ميلاد سعيد لي!Unzuru ila surati, eid milad sa'id li!Look at my photo, happy birthday to me!
- مريم Maryamعيد ميلاد سعيد يا عمر!Eid milad sa'id ya Omar!Happy birthday, Omar!
- عمر Omarشكراً جزيلاً يا مريم.Shukran jazilan ya Maryam.Thank you very much, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamأتمنى لك يوماً رائعاً.Atamanna laka yawman ra'i'an.I wish you a wonderful day.
