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 to someone on their birthday. feliz cumpleaños is the most common and standard way to say "Happy Birthday" in Spanish.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of feliz (happy) and cumpleaños (birthday).
Which one should you use?
While feliz cumpleaños is the standard full expression, feliz cumple is a shortened and casual version used among friends and family.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
feliz cumpleaños is the standard form suitable for most situations. For a more casual approach, you can use feliz cumple with friends or family. In formal situations, you might use phrases such as Le deseo un feliz cumpleaños (I wish you a happy birthday) or Que tenga un feliz cumpleaños (May you have a happy birthday).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cumpleaños is a masculine noun. It remains the same in both singular and plural forms, though it is almost always used in its plural form to mean "birthday".
How do you pronounce it?
/feˌliθ kumpleˈaɲos/
Did you know?
- While feliz cumpleaños is universal, some regions use the phrase feliz onomástico to celebrate a person's 'name day'. This is the feast day of the saint they were named after, which is historically as important as the birth date.
- In some Latin American countries, a birthday celebration for a girl's 15th birthday is a massive event called a quinceañera. This is a formal rite of passage into womanhood that far exceeds a standard feliz cumpleaños party.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to sing Las Mañanitas instead of or in addition to the standard 'Happy Birthday' song. This traditional Mexican song is often performed very early in the morning to wake the birthday person.
Examples in context
- Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños.I wish you a happy birthday.This sentence shows how to use the phrase to wish someone a happy birthday.Tatoeba #1187273 by Shishir, translation #897532 by CM
- Te deseo un retrasado feliz cumpleaños.Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday.This sentence shows how to wish someone a belated happy birthday.Tatoeba #5628428 by albrusgher, translation #3595119 by DostKaplan
- ¡Feliz cumple!Happy Birthday!This sentence demonstrates the use of the short form feliz cumple.Tatoeba #3490513 by cueyayotl, translation #5229053 by jaxhere
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Ana! Espero que tengas un día lleno de alegría y amor.Happy Birthday, Ana! I hope you have a day filled with joy and love.
- Le deseo un feliz cumpleaños, Sr. García. Que este nuevo año de vida esté lleno de bendiciones y éxitos.I wish you a happy birthday, Mr. García. May this new year of life be filled with blessings and success.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are meeting at a cafe for her birthday.
- Alejandro¡Hola, Lucía! ¡Feliz cumpleaños!Hello, Lucía! Happy birthday!
- LucíaMuchas gracias, Alejandro.Thank you very much, Alejandro.
- AlejandroEspero que tengas un gran día.I hope you have a great day.
- Lucía¡Así será!It will be!
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.
