少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう
sukoshi hayai kedo tanjōbi omedetō
In Japanese, "happy early birthday" is said as 少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう (sukoshi hayai kedo tanjōbi omedetō).
This phrase is a greeting used to wish someone a happy birthday before the actual date of their birth.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "It's a little early, but happy birthday".
Which one should you use?
The default form 少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう is informal. If you wish to express the same sentiment more politely, you can use the formal version 少し早いですが、お誕生日おめでとうございます.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう is informal and should be used with friends or people of equal social standing. For a more polite or formal situation, use 少し早いですが、お誕生日おめでとうございます.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう, the word けど functions as a conjunction meaning "but" or "although".
How do you pronounce it?
sukoshi hayai kedo tanjōbi omedetō
Did you know?
- In Japan, it is common to avoid saying 誕生日おめでとう after the actual date has passed, as wishing someone a 'late' birthday is less culturally standard than wishing it early.
- In very casual settings, Japanese youth may shorten おめでとう to just おめ, making an early birthday wish sound like 少し早いけどおめ.
- The word おめでとう comes from the verb めでたい, which describes something auspicious or joyful rather than just a congratulation.
Examples in context
- 少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう！sukoshi hayai kedo tanjoubi omedetou!Happy early birthday!
- 少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう、プレゼントだよ。sukoshi hayai kedo tanjoubi omedetou, purezento da yo.Happy early birthday, here is a present.
Example conversation
Yui gives a small gift to Hiroto a few days before his birthday.
- 結衣 Yui大翔、少し早いけど誕生日おめでとう！Hiroto, sukoshi hayai kedo tanjoubi omedetou!Hiroto, happy early birthday!
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、ありがとう！嬉しいよ。Yui, arigatou! Ureshii yo.Yui, thank you! I'm happy.
- 結衣 Yuiこれ、プレゼントだよ。Kore, purezento da yo.This is a present for you.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当に？大切にするね。Hontou ni? Taisetsu ni suru ne.Really? I will cherish it.
