Wishing someone a happy birthday in their own language is a gift. For this special occasion, the universal greeting in Spanish is feliz cumpleaños, which literally translates as “happy birthday”.
There are a large number of phrases to wish someone a happy birthday in Spanish:
| Feliz cumpleaños Happy birthday | Que tengas un día muy especial I wish you have a very special day |
| Feliz cumple Happy birthday (casual form) | Espero que disfrutes tu día I hope you enjoy your day |
| Que los cumplas feliz Happy birthday to you | Te deseo todo lo mejor en tu día I wish you all the best on your day |
| Felicidades Happy birthday | Feliz cumpleaños atrasado Belated happy birthday |
| Te deseo un muy feliz cumpleaños I wish you a very happy birthday | Que todos tus deseos se cumplan May all your wishes come true |
| Muchas felicidades en tu día A very happy birthday to you | Que cumplas muchos más Many happy returns |
| Que tengas un feliz cumpleaños I wish you a happy birthday | Mis mejores deseos en tu cumpleaños Wishing you all the best on your birthday |
- The Spanish term cumpleaños is a combination of two words: cumple (from the verb cumplir meaning “turn”) and años (meaning “years”).
- Regional expressions exist, such as Feliz vuelta al sol (“happy turn around the sun”), which is a birthday greeting in Peru and other Latin American countries.
The expression makes a parallel between the time the Earth takes to go round the Sun and the time it takes to be one year older.
- See also: Spanish phrases
Most common ways to say “happy birthday” in Spanish
The most common ways to wish somebody a happy birthday in Spanish are:
1. Feliz cumpleaños / Happy birthday
Feliz cumpleaños is the most common, simple, and universal phrase across the Spanish-speaking world, and can be used in all settings, whether formal or informal.
¡Feliz cumpleaños! Que pases un hermoso día.
Happy birthday! Hope you have a beautiful day.
2. Feliz cumple / Happy birthday (casual)
This expression is the short version of feliz cumpleaños, and is reserved for informal contexts, as it sounds very casual.
Feliz cumple, hermano. Te quiero mucho.
Happy birthday, bro. I love you very much.
3. Que los cumplas feliz / Happy birthday to you
It is a casual expression used in informal settings. This line is in the Spanish birthday song, sung particularly in Latin American countries, which may literally translate as “may you have a happy birthday”. It sounds festive and friendly.
Que los cumplas feliz, mi amigo.
Happy birthday to you, my friend.
4. Felicidades / Happy birthday
This word literally translates as “blessings”, “happiness” or “joy”, and is used as a synonym of “happy birthday”.
Felicidades. Que tengas un día especial.
Congratulations. May you have a special day.
Careful: Felicidades is also used in other settings to congratulate someone on an achievement or wish them a happy holiday season.
5. Te deseo un muy feliz cumpleaños / I wish you a very happy birthday
This expression is an elaborate way to say “happy birthday”. While it is usually used in more formal settings, it may be said in less formal situations to convey a warmer, more heartfelt tone.
Te deseo un muy feliz cumpleaños. Espero que disfrutes de tu día.
I wish you a very happy birthday. I hope you enjoy your day.
6. Muchas felicidades en tu día / A very happy birthday to you
Literally translated as “many blessings on your day”, this slightly formal expression is used to convey a meaningful message.
Muchas felicidades en tu día. Te deseo todo lo mejor.
A very happy birthday to you on your special day. I wish you all the best.
7. Que tengas un feliz cumpleaños / I wish you a happy birthday
This is a common expression usually found in written messages. When said orally, it sounds slightly more ceremonious in tone.
Que tengas un feliz cumpleaños. Te deseo todo lo mejor.
Have a happy birthday. I wish you all the best.
8. Mis mejores deseos en tu cumpleaños / Best wishes on your birthday
This slightly formal expression is mainly used in writing. To address the usted pronoun (formal “you”), tu is replaced with su.
Mis mejores deseos en tu cumpleaños. Espero que tengas un día maravilloso.
Best wishes on your birthday. I hope you have a wonderful day.
9. Feliz cumpleaños atrasado / Belated happy birthday
Feliz cumpleaños atrasado is the expresión used when you have forgotten to wish somebody a “happy birthday”. It is the Spanish for “belated happy birthday” or the usual “happy belated birthday”.
¡Feliz cumpleaños atrasado! ¡Perdón por haberme olvidado!
Happy belated birthday! Sorry I forgot!
- Explore more: Greetings in Spanish
Birthday wishes
Several other expressions are usually added following the “happy birthday” greeting to convey a warmer, more complete message:
Que se cumplan todos tus deseos.
May all your wishes come true.
Que cumplas muchos más.
Many happy returns.
Espero que disfrutes tu día.
I hope you enjoy your day.
Te deseo todo lo mejor.
I wish you all the best.
Que tengas un día muy especial.
Have a very special day.
Que pases un hermoso cumpleaños.
May you have a beautiful birthday.
Funny expressions may be said among friends and family to tease the birthday boy/girl, such as Hoy eres más viejo que ayer, pero más joven que mañana (Today you are older than yesterday, but younger than tomorrow) or Nunca es demasiado tarde para ser lo que quieras ser... a no ser que quieras ser más joven (It's never too late to be what you want to be... unless you want to be younger), among countless others.
Happy birthday song in Spanish
The Spanish “happy birthday” song, el feliz cumpleaños, is the same tune as its English counterpart.
The lyrics of Feliz Cumpleaños are:
| Que los cumplas feliz Que los cumplas feliz Que los cumplas, (nombre) Que los cumplas feliz. | Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, (name) Happy birthday to you. |
There are two more variations of the same song:
| Feliz cumpleaños a ti Feliz cumpleaños a ti Feliz cumpleaños, (nombre) Feliz cumpleaños a ti. | Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, (name) Happy birthday to you. |
| Cumpleaños feliz Cumpleaños feliz Te deseamos todos Cumpleaños feliz | Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you We all wish you Happy birthday to you. |
Happy birthday card in Spanish
Birthdays are usually a good time to tell the other person how much we care for them, making a good opportunity for a heartfelt written message. Below are some common birthday messages in Spanish:
¡Feliz cumpleaños! Espero que todos tus deseos se vuelvan realidad. ¡Te quiero mucho!
Happy birthday! I hope all your wishes come true. I love you!
¡Feliz cumple! Espero que tu año esté lleno de alegrías.
I hope your year is full of joy. Happy birthday!
Espero que la pases increíble en tu cumpleaños y que se cumplan tus deseos. Te mando un abrazo enorme.
I hope you have an amazing birthday and that all your wishes come true. Sending you a big hug.
Te deseo el mejor de los cumpleaños y que disfrutes tu día al máximo.
I wish you the best of birthdays and hope you enjoy your day to the max.
Birthday-related vocabulary in Spanish
Among the most common birthday-related words in Spanish are:
| fiesta de cumpleaños birthday party | cantar el “Feliz cumpleaños” to sing the “Happy birthday” song |
| globos balloons | invitar amigos to invite friends |
| pastel/torta de cumpleaños birthday cake | encender las velitas to light the candles |
| tarjeta de cumpleaños birthday card | cortar el pastel/la torta to cut the cake |
| fiesta sorpresa surprise party | pedir un deseo to make a wish |
| souvenir keepsake | soplar las velitas to blow out the candles |
| cumplir años turn years | hacer una fiesta de cumpleaños to throw a birthday party |
Typical birthday-related questions include:
¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
When is your birthday?
¿Cuántos años cumples?
How old will you be?
¿Qué vas a hacer para tu cumpleaños?
What are you going to do on your birthday?
¿Lo vas a celebrar?
Are you going to celebrate it?
¿Qué te regalaron para tu cumpleaños?
What did you get for your birthday?
You may also like:
- Thank you in Spanish
- You’re welcome in Spanish
- How are you in Spanish
- I’m sorry in Spanish
- I miss you in Spanish
References
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, accessed September 13, 2024, under “keepsake,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/
- Wordreference.com, accessed September 13, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Oxford Collocations Dictionary, 2nd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
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