私、誕生日おめでとう
watashi, tanjōbi omedetō
In Japanese, "happy birthday to me" is said as 私、誕生日おめでとう (watashi, tanjōbi omedetō).
The phrase 私、誕生日おめでとう is most commonly used in social media posts or diary entries rather than being spoken aloud in conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 私、誕生日おめでとう uses the informal form of omedetō, which is natural for a person speaking to themselves or posting on social media.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi, tanjōbi omedetō
Did you know?
- While 私 means 'I', a person might replace it with their own name when writing this phrase to sound more cute or childlike, a common linguistic habit in Japan.
- The prefix お in おめでとう is an honorific marker that remains even when the phrase is used informally for oneself, as it is an integral part of the set expression.
- The word おめでとう shares the same root as めでたい, a word used to describe things that are auspicious or joyful, such as a wedding or a promotion.
Example conversation
Kenta is posting a photo of a cake on social media.
- 結衣 Yui健太くん、何してるの？Kenta-kun, nani shiteru no?Kenta, what are you doing?
- 健太 Kenta私、誕生日おめでとう！って投稿してるよ。Watashi, tanjōbi omedetō! tte tōkō shiteru yo.I'm posting 'Happy birthday to me!'
- 結衣 Yuiあ、本当だ。誕生日おめでとう！A, hontō da. Tanjōbi omedetō!Oh, you're right. Happy birthday!
- 健太 Kentaありがとう、結衣ちゃん！Arigatō, Yui-chan!Thank you, Yui!
