Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| feliz cumpleaños | /feˌliθ kumpleˈaɲos/ /feˌlis kumpleˈaɲos/ |
|
| feliz cumple | /feliθ kumple/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /felis kumple/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
familiar |
The phrase is used to express good wishes for someone's birthday.
What does it mean word for word?
feliz cumpleaños is composed of feliz (happy) and cumpleaños (birthday). The word cumpleaños is a compound of cumplir (to fulfill/complete) and años (years).
Which one should you use?
feliz cumple is a shortened, more casual version of feliz cumpleaños used among friends and family.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
feliz cumpleaños is the standard form. For formal situations, you can say Le deseo un feliz cumpleaños. The shortened feliz cumple is an informal and abbreviated way to say Happy Birthday, and ¡Felicidades en tu día! is another informal way to express birthday wishes.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used within a sentence like Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños, the phrase functions as a noun phrase and requires the indefinite article un.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˌliθ kumpleˈaɲos/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, a birthday celebration includes la mordida. After blowing out the candles, the birthday person's face is pushed into the cake for a first bite while guests cheer ¡mordida, mordida!
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people do not sing the English melody for 'Happy Birthday'. Instead, they sing a song called Las Mañanitas, which is a traditional Mexican song often used to celebrate birthdays.
- In certain Caribbean countries, you might hear people say Feliz vuelta al sol (Happy turn around the sun) instead of the standard birthday greeting.
Examples in context
- Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños.I wish you a happy birthday.This sentence shows how to wish someone a happy birthday using feliz cumpleaños.Tatoeba #1187273 by Shishir, translation #897532 by CM
- Te deseo un retrasado feliz cumpleaños.Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday.This sentence is useful for wishing someone a belated happy birthday using feliz cumpleaños.Tatoeba #5628428 by albrusgher, translation #3595119 by DostKaplan
- ¡Feliz cumple!Happy Birthday!This sentence shows the informal abbreviated version feliz cumple.Tatoeba #3490513 by cueyayotl, translation #5229053 by jaxhere
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños a ti!Happy Birthday to you!
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Ana! ¡Te deseo un día lleno de alegría y amor!Happy Birthday, Ana! I wish you a day full of joy and love!
- ¡Felicidades en tu día, mi amigo! ¡Que cumplas muchos más y se te cumplan todos tus sueños!Congratulations on your day, my friend! May you have many more birthdays, and may all your dreams come true!
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro greets Elena at her birthday party.
- Alejandro¡Feliz cumpleaños, Elena!Happy birthday, Elena!
- ElenaMuchas gracias, Alejandro.Thank you very much, Alejandro.
- Alejandro¿Te gusta la fiesta?Do you like the party?
- ElenaSí, es muy divertida.Yes, it is very fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries feliz cumpleaños, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
