How to say “Happy Birthday” in Spanish

How to wish someone a happy birthday in Spanish: useful phrases and vocabulary

Hello, traveller!

October is going to be an exciting month for me because it’s my birthday month.

¡Qué guay! (cool, che bello!)

It’s also a super fun topic to discuss in Spanish lessons.

I love finding out if my students are celebrating their birthdays, whether they’re familiar with the vocabulary and phrases we use, and also comparing our customs with those of their home countries.

If you’re learning Spanish and want to wish someone a happy birthday in a natural way, in this article you’ll learn phrases, vocabulary and Spanish customs for celebrating a birthday in Spanish.

What’s more, these expressions are just the beginning.

During my language immersion experiences in northern Spain, you also learn to communicate in real-life situations: congratulating someone, ordering in restaurants or chatting with locals.

👉 Download the “Guía gratuita de frases básicas en español para viajar“

SPANISH BIRTHDAY VOCABULARY

Are you ready to plan your next birthday party in Spanish? Below, you’ll learn eight useful words to describe the most important details.

COMMON VERBS FOR TALKING ABOUT BIRTHDAYS IN SPANISH

First of all, the word ‘CUMPLEAÑOS’ translates as ‘BIRTHDAY’ in English or ‘COMPLEANNO’ in Italian.

Some very useful verbs for talking about birthdays in Spanish are: CELEBRAR (to celebrate), DESEAR (to wish), RECORDAR (to remember), SER (to be) and CUMPLIR (to have a birthday)

Examples:

Hoy celebro mi cumpleaños, cumplo 62 años.

Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños, Ana.

Recuerda que hoy es el cumpleaños de mamá, tenemos que comprarle un regalo.

Marta cumple 40 años, tenemos que organizar una gran fiesta.

BIRTHDAY WISHES IN SPANISH

Here are the most popular and useful phrases for congratulating someone in Spanish:

¡FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS! (Happy Birthday, Buon compleanno!)
¡MUCHAS FELICIDADES!
¡QUE CUMPLAS MUCHOS MÁS! (Many happy returns)
TE DESEO LO MEJOR EN TU DÍA (Wishing your all the best on your special day)

It is customary for the person being congratulated to reply ‘thank you’ – “gracias o muchas gracias”.

SPANISH BIRTHDAY CUSTOMS

On birthdays, we usually ring or text the person we want to wish a happy birthday. If we have the chance to see them in person, we give them two kisses on the cheek and say “happy birthday” or one of the phrases mentioned above.

One of the customs in Spain is ‘tirar de las orejas’ (pulling the ears). This tradition symbolises the wish that the person being congratulated will have a long life. We pull their ears once for every year they have lived.

How people choose to celebrate their birthdays varies from person to person. We usually celebrate birthdays in the evening, after work, or at the weekend, and organise a birthday party with family and friends.

If the party’s at home, we’ll prepare a special meal or some tapas for dinner, for example. Then we’ll have CAKE (TARTA) for dessert.

The cake is topped with birthday candles and everyone at the table sings “Happy Birthday”. After the song, the birthday boy or girl makes a wish and blows out the candles and then we share the cake.

We could also hold the party at a restaurant.

After blowing out the candles, family and friends usually hand over the presents. In Spain, it is customary to open the presents straight away, in front of everyone.

The person receiving the gifts says thank you and gives hugs and kisses.

This is how birthdays are usually celebrated in Spain. Do you do the same in your country, or do you have different traditions?

¡Hasta pronto!

Nuria

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