Wishing someone a happy birthday is a gesture that expresses care and concern to another person. Birthdays are traditionally celebrated amongst families and friends in person or over the phone or internet.
You can say the words “happy birthday” to someone days before and after their special day to express your affection for them and make them feel special. You can make them feel even more special by observing some of their birthday traditions.
Saying “happy birthday”, with the correct pronunciation, to a friend or a co-worker who speaks Spanish fluently is an instant heart-melting gesture that would be worth the time you took to learn the words. You can bring the happy vibe to any Spanish-speaker’s birthday by wishing them a happy birthday in Spanish.
With the different interesting combinations of Spanish phrases and expressions in this post, you can make them feel loved and special in a language they cherish. And you need not worry about the correct pronunciation; we will show you how to pronounce the different phrases in this post in ways you can comprehend as an English speaker.
Different Ways to Say Happy Birthday in Spanish
Whether you are trying to learn a little bit of Spanish because Spanish speakers mostly surround you, or you simply want to learn simple Spanish phrases for saying happy birthday, whatever the reason is, you have scrolled to the right place.
Of the many ways to say “Happy Birthday” in Spanish, we compiled this short list of easy-to-learn phrases to say happy birthday to Spanish natives.
| French Word | Pronunciation | Meaning in English |
| Feliz cumpleaños/ Feliz cumpleañous | fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs | Happy birthday |
| Felicitaciones | feh-lees-tah-ceio-nes ffay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs | Congratulations |
| Felicidades | feh-lee-see-da-des ffay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs | Congratulations |
| Como un buen vino, ¡solo mejoras con los años, feliz cumpleañous | co-mo oon boo-en ve-no so-lo meh-ho-ras con los ah-nyos fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs | Like a fine wine, you only get better with time |
| Te deseo cumpleaños lleno de alegres sorpresas | Te day-c-o koom-play-ahn-yohs yee-i-no de aha-le-grres sur-press-as | I wish you a birthday full of happy surprises |
| Te amo y te deseo cumpleaños más feliz que cualquier otra | Te ah-moh yi te day-c-o koom-play-ahn-yohs mahs fay-leez ke casual-que or-tra | I love you and I want you to have a birthday happier than ever |
| Feliz cumpleaños papá! | fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs pa-pa! | Happy birthday, dad! |
| Ayer Fue Tu Cumple feliz cumpleaños! | Ah-yeh fur tu koom-pull fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs | Was it your birthday yesterday? Happy birthday! |
| Felicidades en su día | feh-lee-see-da-des en sue di-a | Congratulations on your day |
| Feliz cumpleaños espero que la hayas pasado bienLau | fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs es-pear-ro ke la ha-yahs pay-ca-doa beer-lau | Happy birthday. I hope you had a good time |
| Cumpleaños maravilloso | koom-play-ahn-yohs | Have a wonderful birthday |
11 Spanish Happy Birthday Phrases to Brighten Any Celebration
Feliz Cumpleaños/ Feliz Cumpleañous
Feliz cumpleaños/ Feliz cumpleañous literal translation means “happy completed years” in the English language. Feliz cumpleaños is Spanish’s most famous international way of saying happy birthday.
This phrase can be used with anyone. It is widely accepted in the office, by strangers, and by friends. The pronunciation of feliz cumpleaños/ feliz cumpleañous is fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs.
Felicitaciones
Felicitaciones translates to “congratulations.” It can be paired with Feliz cumpleañous if you are trying to celebrate your boss’s birthday.
You can say Felicitaciones feliz cumpleañous (Congratulations, happy birthday), pronouncing it as feh-lees-tah-ceio-nes fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs.
Felicidades
Felicidades is another way of saying “congratulations” in Spanish, but it is more friendly. You can say felicidades feliz cumpleañous (Congratulations, happy birthday), pronouncing it as feh-lee-see-da-des ffay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs.
Como un buen vino, ¡solo mejoras con los años, Feliz cumpleañous
The meaning of this cool phrase in English is “like a fine wine, you only get better with time.”
Como un buen vino, ¡solo mejoras con los años, feliz cumpleañous is a very friendly way of saying happy birthday. You can pronounce it as co-mo oon boo-en ve-no so-lo meh-ho-ras con los ah-nyos ffay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs.
Te deseo cumpleaños lleno de alegres sorpresas
Te deseo cumpleaños lleno de alegres sorpresas means “I wish you a birthday full of happy surprises.” This phrase is a short and simple one. Say it to office colleagues you want to form genuine friendships with. You can pronounce it as as “Te day-c-o koom-play-ahn-yohs yee-i-no de aha-le-grres sur-press-as.”
Te amo y te deseo cumpleaños más feliz que cualquier otra
Te amo y te deseo cumpleaños más feliz que cualquier otra, which translates to “I love you and I want you to have a birthday happier than ever” to English speakers. You can say this phrase to someone you care about, such as a friend, family member, or crush. You can pronounce it as “Te ah-moh yi te day-c-o koom-play-ahn-yohs mahs fay-leez ke casual-que or-tra.”
Feliz cumpleaños papá! which means happy birthday, dad!
Family, we love them! If a family member loves Spanish, telling them this straightforward Spanish phrase is a great way to form a connection. You can pronounce it as “fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs pa-pa!”
¿Ayer Fue Tu Cumple feliz cumpleaños!
¿Ayer Fue Tu Cumple feliz cumpleaños! Which translates to “was it your birthday yesterday? Happy birthday!”
It is the best way to say happy birthday if you forgot the celebrant’s birthday. You can also use this Spanish phrase to placate a friend or colleague whose birthday you missed—¿Ayer Fue Tu Cumple feliz cumpleaños!—Saying this phrase is a great way to ask for forgiveness. You can pronounce it as “Ah-yeh fur tu koom-pull fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs.”
Felicidades en su día
Felicidades en su día, which means “congratulations on your day.” Saying this Spanish phrase is a friendly way to wish a business colleague. Say it with a smile to show that you are happy for them. You can pronounce it as “feh-lee-see-da-des en sue di-a.”
Feliz cumpleaños. Espero que la hayas pasado bienLau
Feliz cumpleaños. Espero que la hayas pasado bienLau, which means “Happy birthday. I hope you had a good time” in English, can be said as you are leaving the birthday party you planned for a Spanish-speaking birthday celebrant. You can pronounce it as “fay-leez-koom-play-ahn-yohs es-pear-ro ke la ha-yahs pay-ca-doa beer-lau.”
Cumpleaños maravilloso
Cumpleaños maravilloso is a Spanish phrase that means “have a wonderful birthday.” If you want to wish a Spanish native birthday celebrant on their day, you can use this simple phrase. You can pronounce it as “koom-play-ahn-yohs Mah rah v loss so.”
Spanish Birthday Songs
Another heart-touching/sweet way to say happy birthday in Spanish is by reminding the birthday celebrants of their Spanish origins by planning a Spanish birthday-activity-themed birthday as a surprise.
You can sing a Spanish birthday song for them to allow them a moment of nostalgia about their Spanish origins. The song’s tune can help pass the message that you care and simultaneously soothe the celebrants as the party guests join in.
Cumpleañous Feliz
This Spanish version of the happy birthday song has the same tune as the English one and is very simple to learn how to sing. There is an extended version and a short version of this song. Below is the shorter version and it’s translation:
Cumpleaños feliz
Cumpleaños feliz
Te deseamos todos
Cumpleaños feliz
Which translates to
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
We all wish you a happy birthday,
Happy Birthday to you.
Cumpleañous Feliz is the most common Spanish birthday song sung by Spanish speakers to wish someone a happy birthday.
Las Mañanitas
On the celebrant’s birthday, this Spanish song is usually used to awaken the celebrants. It has thoughtful and loving words and you can also sing it when giving the birthday celebrant his/her cake. You can learn this song by singing it as you play it:
Estas son las mañanitas
que cantaba el rey David
hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti.
Despierta, (mi bien; or say the person’s name), despierta,
mira que ya amaneció,
ya los pajaritos cantan, la luna ya se metió.
Qué linda está la mañana
en que vengo a saludarte
venimos todos con gusto
y placer a felicitarte.
El día en que tu naciste,
nacieron todas las flores,
y en la pila del bautismo,
cantaron los ruiseñores.
Ya viene amaneciendo,
ya la luz del día nos dio.
Levántate de mañana,
mira que ya amaneció.
Its English translation is:
These are “The Little Mornings”
of which King David used to sing.
For today is your birthday;
we sing them to you.
Wake up, (my love; or say the person’s name), wake up.
Look at what has dawned,
Already the little birds are singing,
The moon has already set.
How pretty is the morning
In which I come to greet you.
We all came with pleasure
and joy to congratulate you.
On the day you were born
All the flowers were born.
At the baptismal font
The nightingales sang.
It is starting to be dawn,
The day has given us light.
Get up in the morning,
Look that it has already dawned.
Dale Dale
Dale Dale is a song sung by the children and party guests as each guest takes turns trying to hit the pinata. It is mainly a song for children as they engage in numerous exciting activities at a birthday party.
Dale Dale has several versions but the most important part of the song is written in Spanish and English below:
Dale, dale, dale,
No pierdas el tino,
Porque si lo pierdes
Pierdes el camino.
Ya le diste una,
Ya le diste dos,
Ya le diste tres
Y tu tiempo se acabó.
Hit, Hit, Hit, Don’t Lose the Knack
Piñata Song
The translation of Dale Dals to English is as follows:
Hit, hit, hit,
Don’t lose the knack,
Because if you lose it,
You’ll lose the way.
You’ve hit it once,
You’ve hit it twice,
You’ve hit it thrice,
Now your time is up.
Famous Spanish-Native Birthday Traditions
Spanish natives have an unshakable love for birthday parties and traditions and, most times, will mark birthdays on weekends when the family members are available. In Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico, birthday parties could continue for days, weeks, and months.
Below are some familiar Spaniards’ birthday traditions that you can easily remember and practice at your Spanish-speaking friend, colleague, or boss’s birthday party.
- Give the celebrant personal gifts or suggest to their other friends to present a joint present to them from all of you. To Spaniards, it is not essential to bring gifts, so don’t worry too much if you can’t afford one.
- Playing with the celebrant’s face. The guests will pull the ear of the birthday boy/girl for each year of age and one more for good luck.
- Spaniards celebrate their birthday twice. They believe they should also mark their patron saint’s birthday (called saint day). It is optional to celebrate birthdays on that specific day.
- Smashing the birthday boy/girl’s face into the cake. The celebrant’s face will be pushed into the birthday cake while the guest cheers ‘mordida’. The celebrant’s hands are tied behind them to avoid disagreements.
- Spaniards believe the 15th year of a girl’s life is significant. It is called the Quinceañera tradition and is a common tradition Spaniards have with Mexicans.
Frequently Asked Questions on How to Say Happy Birthday in Spanish
Why Do Mexicans Say Sapo Verde?
Mexicans say Sapo Verde to sound cool. Sapo Verde literally translates to green frog in English. However, because of others who are not fluent in Spanish, Sapo Verde is now popularly known as happy birthday.
How Do Mexicans Say Happy Birthday?
Mexicans say felic cumpleanos when trying to say happy birthday in Spanish. Feliz cumpleanos has become the international phrase for saying happy birthday in Spanish.
How Do You Say Happy Birthday in Slang?
The English slang for happy birthday is HBD. HBD is the most known acronym for happy birthday. If you want to text or say happy birthday to a fluent English speaker, simply say HBD.
What Do You Call a Birthday Girl?
Cumpleañera. If you ever come across a Spanish-speaking birthday celebrant who happens to be a girl and you want to call her, say Cumpleañera! This Spanish phrase is the translation of birthday girl.
What Is a Golden Birthday Called?
El cumpleanos. Golden birthdays are called el cumpleanos in the Spanish language and it is traditionally believed to mark golden birthdays when your age equals your birth date.
Conclusion
There are many colorful ways to say happy birthday as most Spanish speakers do, and even more colorful ways to celebrate a birthday. Making some effort to make a birthday celebrant feel special is always worth it.
When you want to say happy birthday in Spanish, it is best to use the usually vibrant and exciting expressions associated with Spaniards. Show the birthday celebrant that you love them by involving yourself in the several bond-forming traditions and games of Spaniards.
