How to Say "Happy Birthday" in Albanian

gëzuar ditëlindjen

To say happy birthday in Albanian, use gëzuar ditëlindjen.

The phrase gëzuar ditëlindjen is the standard and most commonly used way to express happy birthday wishes in Albanian. You may also hear or use the alternative Edhe shumë vite të lumtura!, which literally means 'Many more happy years!' and serves as a common follow-up to the initial greeting.

Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)

Which one should you use?

While gëzuar ditëlindjen is the standard greeting, you can also use Shumë urime për ditëlindjen! to mean 'Many congratulations on your birthday!' or the more elaborate Të uroj gjithë të mirat për ditëlindjen! to say 'I wish you all the best for your birthday!'

Did you know?

The word gëzuar is the same word used to say 'Cheers!' when making a toast with drinks. Because of this, your birthday wish sounds a bit like you are raising a glass to the person.
In Albanian, the concept of 'congratulations' used in Urime ditëlindjen! is fundamentally different from the English 'congratulations' because it is used for events the person did not achieve through effort, such as a birthday.
The word lindjen in gëzuar ditëlindjen comes from the verb lind, which also means 'to rise' as in the sun rising. This gives the phrase a subtle connection to a new dawn or a new beginning.

Examples in context

Gëzuar ditëlindjen!
Happy birthday!
This sentence shows the standard way to say 'Happy birthday!' using gëzuar ditëlindjen.
Tatoeba #4833998 by Ricardo14, translation #453219 by CM
Gëzuar ditëlindjen Muriel!
Happy birthday, Muiriel!
This sentence shows how to address someone by name using gëzuar ditëlindjen.
Tatoeba #380581 by kellenparker, translation #355041 by human600
Gëzuar ditëlindjen, Rumani!
Happy Birthday, Romania!
This sentence shows how to address a place by name using gëzuar ditëlindjen.
Tatoeba #6981483 by aln, translation #3668483 by danepo
Urimet e mia më të mira, shoqe/mik! Shumë urime për ditëlindjen! Të rrosh shumë vjet!
My best wishes, friend/buddy! Many congratulations on your birthday! May you live many years!