今日は私の誕生日です
kyō wa watashi no tanjōbi desu
To say "today is my birthday" in Japanese, you use 今日は私の誕生日です (kyō wa watashi no tanjōbi desu).
This phrase is used to inform others that the current date is the anniversary of your birth.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally breaks down to "As for today, it is my birthday": 今日 (today) + は (topic marker) + 私 (I) + の (possessive particle) + 誕生日 (birthday) + です (is).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 今日は私の誕生日です is the formal way to express this. For a more casual and conversational tone suitable for friends, you can replace です with the particle だよ to say 今日は私の誕生日だよ. Another informal option is 今日は俺の誕生日だよ.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can create a slightly different nuance by combining the polite 私の with なんです to form 今日は私の誕生日なんです.
How do you pronounce it?
kyō wa watashi no tanjōbi desu
When do people say it?
When you tell someone that today is your birthday, the most common response you will receive is お誕生日おめでとう！ (Happy Birthday!).
Did you know?
- The concept of 'birthday' in Japanese is part of a larger cultural tradition of 'Kazoedoshi', where a person is considered one year old at birth and gains a year every New Year's Day.
- In casual settings, Japanese speakers often omit the pronoun 私 (I) entirely and simply say 今日は誕生日だよ, as the context makes the owner of the birthday obvious.
- While 誕生日 is the common word for 'birthday', the word 生誕日 is used in formal contexts or when referring to the birth date of a historical figure or deity.
Examples in context
- 今日は私の誕生日です。Today is my birthday.Tatoeba #985104 by riccioberto, translation #985108 by riccioberto
- 今日は私の誕生日で、12月25日です。Today is my birthday, December 25th.
- 今日は私の二十歳の誕生日です。Today is my 20th birthday.
- 実は、今日は私の誕生日です。Jitsu wa, kyō wa watashi no tanjōbi desu.Actually, today is my birthday.
- 忘れないで、今日は私の誕生日です。Wasurenaide, kyō wa watashi no tanjōbi desu.Don't forget, today is my birthday.
Example conversation
Himari tells Kenta the news at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himariあの、健太さん、今日は私の誕生日です。Ano, Kenta-san, kyō wa watashi no tanjōbi desu.Um, Kenta, today is my birthday.
- 健太 Kenta本当ですか？おめでとうございます！Hontō desu ka? Omedetō gozaimasu!Really? Congratulations!
- 陽葵 Himariありがとうございます。すごく嬉しいです。Arigatō gozaimasu. Sugoku ureshii desu.Thank you. I'm very happy.
- 健太 Kenta今日は素敵な一日になりますように。Kyō wa suteki na ichinichi ni narimasu yō ni.I hope you have a wonderful day.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
