8 Ways to Say "Happy Birthday" in Japanese

Happy Birthday in Japanese

O-tanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu: Happy birthday (formal and informal) O-tanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu (お誕生日おめでとうございます) can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but is a good option when speaking to people you aren’t on casual terms with (like your manager/boss). Tanjyoubi (誕生日) means birthday, while omedetou (おめでとう) stands for “congratulations.” “Gozaimasu” (ございます) is the polite form of the “to be” verb. When put together, these three elements make a polite birthday greeting. Pronunciation: Oh-tahn-jyoe-bee oh-meh-deh-toe go-zai-ee-mahs The “o” (お) at the beginning of the phrase is a prefix that makes your statements more courteous. This is a good greeting to use when wishing your elders a happy birthday.

(O)-tanjyoubi omedetou: Happy birthday (casual) By removing “gozaimasu” (ございます) and the “o” (お) prefix, you’re making the greeting a little more casual. To make this greeting sound a little more respectful, say “o-tanjyoubi omedetou” (お誕生日おめでとう)instead. Pronunciation: Tahn-jyoe-bee oh-meh-deh-toe This birthday greeting is versatile and can used in a variety of circumstances.

Omedetou, otaome, or tanome: Happy birthday (very casual) Want to wish your best friend or immediate family member a happy birthday? “Omedetou” (おめでとう) on its own works as a birthday greeting, in addition to “otaome” (おたおめ) and “tanome” (たんおめ), which are hybrids of o-tanjyoubi omedetou (お誕生日おめでとう). “Omedetou” pronunciation: Oh-meh-deh-toe “Otaome” pronunciation: Oh tah-oh-meh “Tanome” pronunciation: Tah-no-meh

Other Birthday Greetings

[Age] sai omedetou: Happy [the person’s age] birthday Stick the person’s birthday number into the beginning of this phrase to create a more personalized birthday greeting. If you’d like to be especially respectful, use this phrase instead: “[the person’s age] sai no otanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu” (歳のお誕生日おめでとうございます). Prounciation: Sigh oh-meh-deh-toe Example: “Happy 20th birthday!” would translate to “hatachisai omedetou.”

Osoku natta kedo, (o)tanjyoubi omedetou: Happy belated birthday “Osoku natta kedo” (遅くなったけど) translates to “It’s late, but…” while (o)tanjyoubi omedetou (お誕生日おめでと) is a standard Japanese birthday greeting. When put together, you’re essentially saying “This is late, but happy birthday!” Pronunciation: Oh-so-koo nah-ta keh-doh, oh-tahn-jyoe-bee oh-meh-deh-toe In a more formal setting (like when speaking with your elders), say “osoku narimashita, (o)tanjyoubi omedetou (遅くなりました お誕生日おめでと).”

Happii basudee: Happy birthday The Japanese language uses 3 writing systems: one of these is katakana, which is used to convert words from other languages into Japanese. An example of this is “happii basudee,” (ハッピーバースデー), which is a laid-back way to tell someone “happy birthday.”

Tokubetsu na hi o tanoshinde ne: Wish you enjoy your special day This is a great greeting to say if you run into someone on their birthday. If you’d like to make the message a little more respectful, say “tokubetsu na hi o tanoshinde kudasai” (特別な日を楽しんでください)instead. Pronunciation: Toe-koo-beh-tsu nah he oh tah-no-sheen-deh neh

Suteki na ichinen ni narimasu you ni: Have a wonderful year This is a great message to include in a written birthday card, and works well for all kinds of relationships. Pronunciation: Soo-teh-key nah ee-chee-nen nee nah-ree-mahs yo nee If you’d like to simplify the message a bit, say “sutekina ichinichi o” (素敵な一日を) instead.

Happy Birthday Song

Japanese people sing the English version of the Happy Birthday song. The concept of individual birthday celebrations isn’t deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Because of this, Western birthday traditions like singing the “Happy Birthday” song aren’t a major part of Japanese birthday celebrations. When Japanese people do sing the familiar song, they typically do so in English.

Japanese Birthday Culture

Birthday celebrations aren’t a huge deal in Japan. Prior to 1950, Japanese society collectively celebrated everyone’s birthdays on New Year’s Day (January 1), rather than celebrating individual birthdays. Since 1950, Japan has incorporated other traditions into its birthday culture, though they don’t generate the same fanfare as they do in Western countries. In Japanese culture, it’s common for people to spend their birthday with their significant other.

Certain birthdays carry extra importance in Japan. A child’s 3rd, 5th, and 7th birthdays are especially meaningful milestones in Japanese society. In fact, Japanese families with young children attend Shichi-go-san (7-5-3 in Japanese) on November 15, an annual festival that commemorates the milestone of young kids growing up. A young girl’s 3rd and 7th birthdays are typically viewed with special importance, while a young boy’s 3rd and 5th birthdays are viewed in a special light. A baby’s first birthday also carries special importance in Japan, and Japanese families will often perform special rituals on their child’s special birthday (like erabitori, where the child divines their future by grabbing a random object from a selected assortment of items).

Twenty-year-olds get a special celebration in early January. The second Monday in January is called Coming of Age Day, which commemorates young adults who have recently turned 20. In Japanese society, 20 is a special age that’s associated with adult independence and self-sufficiency.

Sixty-year-olds celebrate rebirth with kanreki. When someone turns 60, they’ve gone through an entire cycle relating to the animal zodiac, which signifies a sense of rebirth. On this special day (also known as kanreki), individuals wear a special outfit and participate in a special celebration that centers around the color red, which is linked with good fortune.