feliz cumpleaños a tu papá
/feliθ kumpleaɲos a tu papa/from spelling rules
The phrase for "happy birthday to your dad" in Spanish is feliz cumpleaños a tu papá.
This phrase is used when you want to wish a happy birthday to the father of the person you are speaking to.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of feliz (happy), cumpleaños (birthday), a (to), tu (your) and papá (dad).
Which one should you use?
You can vary the phrase depending on who you are addressing or the level of affection intended. If you are speaking to someone in a formal context, such as a boss or an elder, you should replace tu papá with su papá. Additionally, while papá is affectionate, tu padre is a more formal or neutral way to say "your father".
How do you pronounce it?
/feliθ kumpleaɲos a tu papa/
Did you know?
- The word cumpleaños is a compound made of cumple meaning 'to fulfill' and años meaning 'years'. It literally describes a 'year-fulfiller' rather than just a day of birth.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you are celebrating a birthday, it is common to sing Las Mañanitas instead of the standard 'Happy Birthday' song used in English.
- Depending on the country, saying feliz cumpleaños might be followed by the tradition of giving 'birthday hugs' or 'besos', which are more common and expected than in English-speaking cultures.
Examples in context
- Papá, en tu día especial, quiero desearte el mejor cumpleaños que hayas tenido. ¡Eres el mejor! ¡Feliz cumpleaños!Dad, on your special day, I want to wish you the best birthday you've ever had. You're the best! Happy birthday!
- Querido papá, en tu cumpleaños quiero expresarte cuánto te admiro y cuánto valoro tu amor. ¡Te deseo un día maravilloso! Feliz cumpleaños.Dear dad, on your birthday, I want to express how much I admire you and how much I value your love. I wish you a wonderful day! Happy birthday.
- Yo le dije: feliz cumpleaños a tu papá.I told him: happy birthday to your dad.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking on the phone.
- ElenaHola Daniel, ¿cómo estás?Hello Daniel, how are you?
- DanielBien, Elena. Hoy es un día especial.Fine, Elena. Today is a special day.
- Elena¡Ah! ¡Feliz cumpleaños a tu papá!Ah! Happy birthday to your dad!
- DanielMuchas gracias, se lo diré.Thank you very much, I will tell him.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, cumpleaños, feliz, papá, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
