How can you express your warmest greetings to your special someone? Here’s how you say Happy Birthday in Spanish.
How to say happy birthday in Spanish
What should you say to that Spanish-speaking person you love on their special day if you’re unsure of the proper method to say it?
Or will you have to deal with celebrating your birthday for the first time this year in a Spanish-speaking setting? Never worry; we are here to assist you!
You can learn how to say “happy birthday” in Spanish language in various ways here. You can also learn what else to say to make someone’s birthday particularly.
Ways to say “happy birthday” in Spanish
Happy birthday in Spanish is said with the literal phrase “Felicidad Cumpleaos.”
Feliz cumple! In the Spanish-speaking world, cumple is a more casual way of wishing happy birthday. So feel free to use this instead if you’re trying to say “happy birthday” in Spanish in a more casual and friendly manner.
Felicidades is frequently used in place of “feliz cumpleaos,” even though it signifies congratulations. Spanish has a more dynamic and forceful approach to saying “happy birthday.”
Felicitaciones is a greeting that can also mean congratulations, such as Felicidades. This greeting is less popular than the other three because it is a little more refined and formal.
Felicidades is Spanish’s most typical greeting to wish someone a happy birthday.
The phrase “Cumbeaos”
The Spanish term Cumpleaos, like the English word birthday, is a compound word. However, if we take the two words in their most literal forms, they are not the same.
Cumple and aos combine to form the Spanish word Cumpleaos. The closest English equivalent of the Spanish verb cumplir is turned, as in “I’m turning 24 this year.”
Cumple is a version of this verb. Years are denoted by the prefix aos. Thus, we have “turns years” literally. Although that doesn’t sound very well in English, it makes perfect sense in Spanish.
As a result, cumplir aos is a highly popular verb form for cumpleaos. Cumplir can be conjugated as necessary and is a standard -ir verb. There are many ways to translate this statement because it is versatile.
It may imply “to celebrate a birthday.”
Cumplir aos, which means “to have a birthday,” is used in this context similarly to its English equivalent. For instance:
Spanish Grammar for Greeting Happy Birthday
You may have noticed that the present subjunctive tense is used to create every good wish listed below. These phrases demonstrate one of the primary functions of the subjunctive, which is to convey desire (Deseo) or hope (esperanza).
As you can see, the general formula for these birthday expressions is Que (that) + subjunctive verb + predicate.
These expressions could be a little difficult for you to understand because this structure isn’t used in English. To think of them simply, imagine that this Que is the equivalent of the English word “may,” which it is in this instance.
The notion is that the source of the well-wishes is vague. If the meaning is still unclear to you, you might perhaps add the phrase “I hope” (Espero) before the inquiry, which would have a stronger focus on the message’s source.
In any case, I have provided a literal translation of the meaning of any of the sentences below that could be more difficult to understand.
In the Spanish-speaking world, all of the following are extremely frequently said on someone’s birthday:
“¡Disfruta tu cumpleaños!”
Enjoy your birthday!
“¡Disfruta tu día especial!!”
Enjoy your special day!
“¡Qué tengas un lindo día!”
Have a great day!
“¡Espero que se cumplan tus deseos!”
I hope your wishes are fulfilled!
“¡Que cumplas muchos más!”
Meaning: Hope you have many more birthdays!
Literal translation: May you turn many more!
If those expressions are not enough…
You may have someone in mind which is very special, and you want to wish them a happy birthday in Spanish. You need to be more confident speaking Spanish clearly and sweetly, though.
You can find a wide variety of birthday wishes on this exciting website. Because they are categorized based on your relationship with the recipient, you can be confident the message will be acceptable.
Around your birthday, you might be asked a few Spanish questions.
Are you the birthday boy or girl, and are you curious about how to conduct yourself in the Spanish-speaking world at this time of year?
In Spanish, a simple “gracias” will usually do in response to “happy birthday.” Here’s how to handle any additional conversations about your birthday.
¿Cuántos años vas a cumplir?
Meaning: How old are you turning?
Response: Voy a cumplir X años. (I’m turning X.)
OR: No me gusta decir mi edad. (I don’t like to say my age.)
¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
Meaning: When is your birthday?
Response: Mi cumpleaños es el X(number) de Y(month) (My birthday is the X of Y.)
¿Qué quieres para tu cumpleaños?
Meaning: What do you want for your birthday?
Response: No necesito nada, pero muchísimas gracias. (I don’t need anything, but thank you so much.)
OR: Me puedes regalar… (Can you get me…)
¿Qué vas a hacer para/en tu cumpleaños?
Meaning: What are you going to do for/on your birthday?
Response: Voy a… (I’m going to…)
OR: No tengo planes. (I don’t have plans.)
Traditions for birthdays in Spanish
The cultures of Spanish-speaking nations and those of English-speaking nations are similar regarding birthdays. By this, I mean that events like parties, cake, and gifts are commonplace. That said, some regional customs vary from country to country.
When girls turn 15, there is a huge celebration and birthday party since it is traditionally viewed as when they become women. Quinceanera is the name of this celebration. The more significant celebration for men occurs when they turn 18.
Spanish translation of “Happy Birthday”
There isn’t a single global “happy birthday” song in Spanish due to the wide variety and vibrant culture of the Spanish-speaking globe.
Instead, the song is available in a variety of forms in most nations. If in doubt, hum along to the familiar and beloved “happy birthday” music because they all appear to follow it.
Having said that (to further complicate matters), many nations have both their own traditional song and the more well-known tune.
Quick question: Is it feliz cumpleaos or feliz cumpleaos?
Some individuals are perplexed and believe that Cumpleaos Feliz is the proper way to say “happy birthday” in Spanish because that is how it is sung in the song. Cumpleaos Feliz is just a poetic take on the traditional Feliz Cumpleaos. The song probably has it worded differently since it blends better with the music.
In conclusion, you wouldn’t just casually wish a friend a happy birthday.
The Spanish “happy birthday” song I am accustomed to from interacting with Colombians is provided here. Here are the song’s lyrics for the majority of Spanish-speaking countries.
More essential Spanish idioms to know are listed below:
- Cheers in Spanish
- How are you in Spanish
- Sorry in Spanish
- Thank you in Spanish
- Beautiful in Spanish
Are you still mentally translating? Do you wish to improve your Spanish language skills? To quickly learn how to think in Spanish, check out Stefano’s classes!
