お誕生日
otanjōbi
The Japanese phrase for "your birthday" is お誕生日 (otanjōbi).
This phrase refers to the anniversary of the day a person was born. While it translates to "your birthday," in Japanese the possessive pronoun is often omitted when the context makes it clear whose birthday is being discussed.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form お誕生日 is a polite way to refer to someone else's birthday.
How do you pronounce it?
otanjōbi
When do people say it?
When someone wishes you a happy birthday, you can show your appreciation by saying Arigatou! Tanjoubi omedetou!
Did you know?
- For a first birthday, the custom of 一升餅 involves the baby carrying a large, heavy rice cake on their back to wish for a long and healthy life.
- When celebrating a 60th birthday, known as 還暦, some people wear a red vest and hat to symbolize a 'rebirth' as the zodiac cycle completes.
- In Japan, the 'birthday' of the Emperor is a national holiday called 天皇誕生日, and the entire country celebrates it regardless of who the current Emperor is.
Examples in context
- 「なんでみんな私のことシカトするの？」「誰もシカトなんてしてないよ。ほら、今日はメアリーの誕生日でしょ？お誕生日おめでとう！」「おめでとう！」「おめでとう！」"Why's everybody ignoring me?" "No one's ignoring you, Mary. Look, today's your birthday, isn't it? Happy birthday!" "Happy birthday!" "Happy birthday!"This example shows how to use お誕生日 when wishing someone a happy birthday.Tatoeba #10183782 by small_snow, translation #10183789 by DJ_Saidez
- お誕生日はいつですか。What is the date of your birthday?This sentence is useful for asking someone the date of their birthday using お誕生日.Tatoeba #1446092 by gracehero, translation #4426634 by LB
- お誕生日はいつでいらっしゃいますか？When is your birthday?This example demonstrates a more formal way to ask when someone's birthday is using お誕生日.Tatoeba #13222290 by atitarev, translation #16997 by CK
Example conversation
陽太 and 陽葵 are talking about upcoming celebrations.
- 陽太 Yotaお誕生日はいつですか？Otanjoubi wa itsu desu ka?When is your birthday?
- 陽葵 Himari来月の十日です。Raigetsu no tooka desu.It is the tenth of next month.
- 陽太 Yotaじゃあ、お祝いをしましょう！Jaa, oiwai o shimashou!Then, let's celebrate!
- 陽葵 Himariありがとうございます！Arigatou gozaimasu!Thank you very much!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
