私の誕生日
watashi no tanjōbi
The phrase "my birthday date" in Japanese is expressed as 私の誕生日 (watashi no tanjōbi).
私の誕生日 refers to the specific day and month on which a person was born. In Japanese, the word 誕生日 already implies the specific date, so adding a separate word for "date" is redundant and unnatural.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of: 誕生日 (tanjōbi), which means "birthday" (the characters mean "birth" and "day"). And the particle の (no), which is a possessive marker used to link watashi (I) to tanjōbi, effectively meaning "my birthday".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To state the full sentence "My birthday is on [Month] [Day]", use 私の誕生日は[Month] [Day]です for formal situations or 俺の誕生日は[Month] [Day]だよ for informal situations.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi no tanjōbi
Did you know?
- In some traditional contexts, the date of a person's birth is calculated using the lunar calendar, meaning their 誕生日 (tanjōbi) can fall on a different Gregorian date each year.
- In Japan, it is common to celebrate the birthday of a child specifically during お七夜 (o-shichiya), which marks the seventh night after birth, rather than just the anniversary of the date.
- While English speakers often say 'birthday date', doing so in Japanese by adding a word for 'date' would sound like you are asking for the 'date of a birth' in a medical or official document.
Examples in context
- 私の誕生日は６月２日です。My birthday is on June 2nd.
- 俺の誕生日は１月１４日だよ。My birthday is on January 14th.
- 私の誕生日は３月２０日です。My birthday is on March 20th.
- 俺の誕生日は５月３１日だよ。My birthday is on May 31st.
- 私の誕生日は五月十日です。Watashi no tanjoubi wa gogatsu tooka desu.My birthday is May 10th.
- 私の誕生日を忘れないでください。Watashi no tanjoubi o wasurenaide kudasai.Please don't forget my birthday.
- 私の誕生日は来週の水曜日です。Watashi no tanjoubi wa raishuu no suiyoubi desu.My birthday is next Wednesday.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their upcoming plans.
- 陽葵 Himari私の誕生日はもうすぐだよ。Watashi no tanjoubi wa mousugu da yo.My birthday is coming up soon.
- 陽太 Yota本当？いつなの？Hontou? Itsu na no?Really? When is it?
- 陽葵 Himari来月の十五日だよ。Raigetsu no juugonichi da yo.It's the 15th of next month.
- 陽太 Yota覚えておくね！Oboete oku ne!I'll keep that in mind!
