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“O-tanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu” (お誕生日おめでとうございます) is the classic, most polite way to pass along happy birthday wishes in Japanese, while casual greetings like “tanjyoubi omedetou” (誕生日おめでとう) and “omedetou” (おめでとう) are perfect for celebrating with loved ones and friends. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Japanese birthday greetings, including the Japanese birthday song and how birthdays are celebrated in Japan.
Steps
Happy Birthday in Japanese
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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).[1] 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.[2] When put together, these three elements make a polite birthday greeting.
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(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.[5]
- Pronunciation: Tahn-jyoe-bee oh-meh-deh-toe
- This birthday greeting is versatile and can used in a variety of circumstances.
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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).[6]
- “Omedetou” pronunciation: Oh-meh-deh-toe
- “Otaome” pronunciation: Oh tah-oh-meh
- “Tanome” pronunciation: Tah-no-meh
Other Birthday Greetings
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[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).[7]
- Prounciation: Sigh oh-meh-deh-toe
- Example: “Happy 20th birthday!” would translate to “hatachisai omedetou.”
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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!”[8]
- 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).”
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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.[11]
- Pronunciation: Toe-koo-beh-tsu nah he oh tah-no-sheen-deh neh
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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.[12]
- 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.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I write 'mum and dad'?Community AnswerFormally, it would be お母さん(Mother) と(and) お父さん(Father). This is pronounced Okaasan and Otousan. You can also use はは for Mom and ちち for Dad in informal situations. This is pronounced Haha and Chichi.
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QuestionHow do I say "I love you" in Japanese?Community AnswerYou can say "daisuki" for friends and people you like, "aishiteru" in a more serious relationship, and "koishiteru" to the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with.
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QuestionHow do I say happy birthday in Japanese?Community AnswerTanjobi Omedeto Gozaimasu.
Video
Tips
References
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/%E3%81%8A%E8%AA%95%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E3%81%8A%E3%82%81%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86-happy-birthday-in-japanese-how-to-celebrate/
- ↑ https://jisho.org/search/gozaimasu
- ↑ https://www.tofugu.com/japanese-grammar/honorific-prefix-o-go/
- ↑ https://www.japanesepod101.com/blog/2020/04/10/life-events-in-japanese/#1
- ↑ https://www.japanesepod101.com/blog/2020/04/10/life-events-in-japanese/#1
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/%E3%81%8A%E8%AA%95%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E3%81%8A%E3%82%81%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86-happy-birthday-in-japanese-how-to-celebrate/
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/%E3%81%8A%E8%AA%95%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E3%81%8A%E3%82%81%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86-happy-birthday-in-japanese-how-to-celebrate/
- ↑ https://www.japanesepod101.com/blog/2020/04/10/life-events-in-japanese/#1
- ↑ https://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/katakana-uses.html
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/%E3%81%8A%E8%AA%95%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E3%81%8A%E3%82%81%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86-happy-birthday-in-japanese-how-to-celebrate/
- ↑ https://www.japanesepod101.com/blog/2020/04/10/life-events-in-japanese/#1
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/%E3%81%8A%E8%AA%95%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E3%81%8A%E3%82%81%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86-happy-birthday-in-japanese-how-to-celebrate/
- ↑ https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-birthday/
- ↑ https://jref.com/threads/japan-birthday-song.15443/
- ↑ https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-birthday/
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/%E3%81%8A%E8%AA%95%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E3%81%8A%E3%82%81%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86-happy-birthday-in-japanese-how-to-celebrate/
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/%E3%81%8A%E8%AA%95%E7%94%9F%E6%97%A5%E3%81%8A%E3%82%81%E3%81%A7%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86-happy-birthday-in-japanese-how-to-celebrate/
- ↑ https://yjc.tokyo/japanese-culture-erabitori
- ↑ https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/january/seijinshiki.html
- ↑ https://uncannyjapan.com/podcast/kanreki/
About This Article
To say "happy birthday" to your friends and family in Japanese, say "tanjoubi omedetou," which is pronounced like "tan-joh-bee oh-meh-de-toh." If you want to wish a happy birthday to someone in a formal setting, like a teacher or an elder, say "tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu," pronounced like "tan-joh-bee oh-meh-de-toh goh-za-i-mahs." You can say "Shinyu-no anatani, otanjo-bi omedetou" if you want to say happy birthday to your best friend. To customize the phrase for a significant other, try "Aisuru anatani, otanjo-bi omedetou," which means "Happy birthday, my love." To learn how to say other celebratory phrases in Japanese, keep reading!
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