Six Ways To Say "Happy Birthday" In Japanese
Whether you're sending a birthday card, or writing on a friend's Facebook wall, it's good to share. And you'll want to wish your Japanese-speaking friends "happy birthday" in Japanese, right?
Here are six different ways to say "happy birthday" in Japanese.
First of all, let's say “Happy Birthday”:
1) お誕生日おめでとう! <em>o-tanjoubi omedetou!</em>
Simple and classic, this phrase means "happy birthday", or literally "congratulations on your birthday".
2) お誕生日おめでとうございます。 <em>o-tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu</em>
Add ございます "gozaimasu" to make it more polite.
This longer phrase is more polite/formal, so it's good for people older than you, people you know less well, and definitely good for your boss.
3) ハッピーバースデー!<em>happii baasudee!</em>
This one is actually one of my favourites - a Japan-ified version of the English phrase “happy birthday”.
Adding another comment:
If you're writing a message, you can also add another comment, following up after the birthday greeting by also wishing the person well:
4) 楽しんでください <em>tanoshinde kudasai</em>
"Have fun!"
e.g. お誕生日おめでとう!楽しんでくださいね ^ ^
(Happy birthday! Have fun :) )
5) 素敵な一日を <em>sutekina ichinichi o</em>
"Have a great day."
e.g. お誕生日おめでとう!素敵な一日を〜
"Happy birthday! Have a great day."
6) 素晴らしい1年になりますように <em>subarashii ichinen ni narimasu you ni</em>
"I hope it's a wonderful year for you."
e.g. お誕生日おめでとうございます。素晴らしい1年になりますように。
"Happy birthday. I hope you have a wonderful year."
それじゃ、ステキな一日を!
And with that, I hope you have a wonderful day!
If you have any questions about learning Japanese, please feel free to ask me.