미리 생일 축하해
miri saeng-il chukahaeyo
The English phrase "happy early birthday" is translated into Korean as 미리 생일 축하해 (miri saeng-il chukahaeyo).
This phrase is used to wish someone a happy birthday before their actual birth date arrives.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 미리 means "in advance" or "ahead of time".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the phrase polite by adding the suffix –요 to the end, resulting in 미리 생일 축하해요.
How do you pronounce it?
miri saeng-il chukahaeyo
Did you know?
- In Korea, it is common to celebrate birthdays not just on the day, but also by eating miyeok-guk, a seaweed soup, which is traditionally eaten by mothers after childbirth.
- The first birthday of a child, called dol, is the most significant birthday in Korean culture and involves a ritual where the child picks an object to predict their future career.
- The word 생일 is composed of Hanja roots meaning 'birth' and 'day', but if you are speaking to someone much older or of higher status, you must use the honorific term 생신 instead.
Examples in context
- 미리 생일 축하해!miri saeng-il chuk-ha-hae!Happy early birthday!
- 생일이 좀 남았지만, 미리 생일 축하해.saeng-il-i jom nam-at-ji-man, miri saeng-il chuk-ha-hae.It's still a bit early, but happy early birthday.
- 친구야, 미리 생일 축하해!chin-gu-ya, miri saeng-il chuk-ha-hae!My friend, happy early birthday!
Example conversation
Subin sends a message to Dohyeon before they meet.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현아, 미리 생일 축하해!Dohyeon-a, miri saeng-il chuk-ha-hae!Dohyeon, happy early birthday!
- 도현 Do-hyeon고마워, 수빈아! 아주 감동이야.go-ma-wo, Subin-a! a-ju gam-dong-i-ya.Thanks, Subin! I'm really touched.
- 수빈 Su-bin내일 맛있는 거 사줄게.nae-il mas-it-neun geo sa-jul-ge.I'll buy you something delicious tomorrow.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말? 기대할게!jeong-mal? gi-dae-hal-ge!Really? I'll look forward to it!
