Are you trying to figure out How Do You Say Happy Birthday In Spanish? Feliz cumpleaños is the most common way to say happy birthday in Spanish, and how.edu.vn provides you with over sixty unique ways to congratulate someone. Expand your Spanish vocabulary and enhance your cultural experiences with expert guidance and comprehensive resources.
Whether you’re looking for common greetings or unique phrases, understanding the nuances of the Spanish language will help you celebrate special occasions more meaningfully. Make every birthday unforgettable with these essential phrases and cultural tips. Explore the world of Spanish birthday wishes and discover how to express your heartfelt sentiments with confidence with the use of Spanish greetings, cultural insights, and practical tips.
1. Common Ways to Say Happy Birthday in Spanish
Knowing the basics is essential. Here are some of the most common phrases for wishing someone a happy birthday in Spanish, complete with pronunciations to help you nail it.
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy birthday! | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Happy birthday! (casual) | ¡Feliz cumple! | feˈlis ˈkũmple ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh |
| Belated happy birthday! | ¡Feliz cumpleaños atrasado! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos atɾaˈsaðo ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos ah-trah-sah-doh |
| Congratulations! | ¡Muchas felicidades! | ˈmuʧas felisiˈðaðes ‖ | moo-chas feh-lee-see-da-dehs |
| I wish you the best on your birthday. | Te deseo todo lo mejor en tu cumpleaños. | te ðeˈseo ˈtoðo lo meˈxoɾ ɛ̃n tu kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh toh-doh lo meh-hore en too coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Hope you have many more! | ¡Que cumplas muchos más! | ˈke ˈkũmplas̬ ˈmuʧos̬ ˈmas ‖ | keh coom-plas moo-chos ah-nyos mas |
| Have a very special day. | Que tengas un día muy especial. | ˈke ˈtɛ̃nɡas ũn ˈdia mwj ɛspeˈsjal ‖ | keh ten-gas oon dee-ah moo-ey es-peh-see-al |
| Many happy returns! | ¡Que tengas muchos más! | ˈke ˈtɛ̃nɡas̬ ˈmuʧos̬ ˈmas ‖ | keh ten-gas moo-chos mas |
| Thanks for being born! | ¡Gracias por haber nacido! | ˈɡɾasjas poɾ aˈβɛɾ naˈsiðo ‖ | grah-see-as pore ah-behr na-see-doh |
| Happy birthday my love. | Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | mj aˈmoɾ ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos me ah-more |
| Happy birthday, brother/sister/mom/dad. | Feliz cumpleaños, hermano / hermana / mamá / papá. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | ɛɾˈmano | ɛɾˈmana | maˈma | paˈpa ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos air-ma-no air-ma-na mah-ma pah-pa |
| Happy birthday grandma/grandpa. | Feliz cumpleaños, abuelo / abuela. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | aˈβwelo | aˈβwela ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos ah-boo-eh-lo ah-boo-eh-la |
| Another year around the sun – happy birthday! | Otro año alrededor del sol – ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | te ðeˈseo ũ̯m mwi feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | oh-tro-ah-nyo al-reh-deh-dor del sol feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Wishing you a very happy birthday! | ¡Te deseo un muy feliz cumpleaños! | te ðeˈseo ũ̯m mwi feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh oon moo-ey feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Happy birthday my friend. | Feliz cumpleaños, mi amigo. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | mj aˈmiɣo ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos me ah-me-go |
| Happy birthday, cousin. | Feliz cumpleaños, primo. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | ˈpɾimo ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Best birthday wishes to you! | ¡Mis mejores deseos en tu cumpleaños! | mis̬ meˈxoɾes̬ ðeˈseos ɛ̃n tu kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | mees meh-hore-es deh-seh-os en too coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Happy birthday beautiful! | ¡Feliz cumpleaños, hermoso! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | ɛɾˈmoso ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos air-mo-so |
| Happy 21st/ 30th/40th/50th etc. birthday | Feliz cumpleaños 21/30/40/50. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos̬ βei̯nˈtjuno ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos bey-n-tee-oo-no / trey-n-tah / koo-ah-reh-n-tah / seen-koo-en-tah |
| Hope all your birthday wishes come true! | ¡Espero que todos tus deseos de cumpleaños se cumplan! | ɛsˈpɛɾo ˈke ˈtoðos tus̬ ðeˈseos̬ ðe kũmpleˈaɲos se ˈkũmplãn ‖ | es-pear-oh keh toh-dos toos deh-seh-os deh coom-pleh-ah-nyos seh coom-plan |
| Happy birthday in heaven. | Feliz cumpleaños en el cielo. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ɛn ɛl ˈsjelo ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos en elle see-eh-lo |
| Happy birthday, have a good one! | Feliz cumpleaños, ¡que la pases bien! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | ˈke la ˈpases̬ ˈβjɛ̃n ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos keh la pah-ses bee-ehn |
| Happy birthday, I hope you enjoy your day! | Feliz cumpleaños, ¡espero que disfrutes tu día! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | ɛsˈpɛɾo ˈke ðisˈfɾutes tu ˈðia ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos es-pear-oh keh dees-froo-tes too dee-ah |
| Have a fabulous birthday! | ¡Que tengas un cumpleaños fabuloso! | ˈke ˈtɛ̃nɡas ũn kũmpleˈaɲos faβuˈloso ‖ | keh ten-gas oon coom-pleh-ah-nyos fah-boo-lo-so |
| I hope you have a wonderful birthday. | Espero que tengas un cumpleaños maravilloso. | ɛsˈpɛɾo ˈke ˈtɛ̃nɡas ũn kũmpleˈaɲos̬ maɾaβiˈʝoso ‖ | es-pear-oh keh ten-gas oon coom-pleh-ah-nyos ma-ra-ve-yo-so |
| All the best! | ¡Te deseo lo mejor! | te ðeˈseo lo meˈxoɾ ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh lo meh-hore |
| May your birthday be filled with laughter! | ¡Que tu día esté lleno de risas! | ˈke tu ˈðia ɛsˈte ˈʝeno ðe ˈrisas ‖ | keh too dee-ah es-teh yeh-no deh ree-sas |
| I wish you the best on your special day. | Te deseo lo mejor en tu día especial. | te ðeˈseo lo meˈxoɾ ɛ̃n tu ˈðia ɛspeˈsjal ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh lo meh-hore en too dee-ah es-peh-see-al |
| Wishing you the best birthday celebration! | ¡Te deseo el mejor festejo por tu cumpleaños! | te ðeˈseo ɛl meˈxoɾ fɛsˈtexo poɾ tu kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh el meh-hore fes-teh-ho por too coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Wishing you many more candles to blow | Te deseo muchas más velitas para soplar. | te ðeˈseo ˈmuʧas̬ ˈmas̬ βeˈlitas ˈpaɾa sop̚ˈlaɾ ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh moo-chas mas veh-lee-tas pa-ra so-plar |
| Wishing you a day that is as special as you are. | Te deseo un día tan especial como tú lo eres. | te ðeˈseo ũ̯n ˈdia ˈtan ɛspeˈsjal ˈkomo ˈtu lo ˈɛɾes ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh oon dee-ah tan es-peh-see-al co-mo too lo eh-res |
| I wish you the best in the year to come. | Te deseo lo mejor en el año que viene. | te ðeˈseo lo meˈxoɾ ɛn ɛl ˈaɲo ˈke ˈβjene ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh lo meh-hore en elle ah-nyo keh ve-eh-neh |
| Happy birthday, and remember that age is just a number! | Feliz cumpleaños, y ¡recuerda que la edad es solamente un número! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | i reˈkwɛɾða ˈke la eˈðað ˈɛs solaˈmɛ̃nte ũ̯n ˈnumɛɾo ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos e reh-coo-air-da keh la eh-dad es so-la-men-teh oon noo-meh-ro |
| Congratulations on another trip around the sun! | ¡Felicidades por otro viaje alrededor del sol! | felisiˈðaðes poɾ ˈotɾo ˈβjaxe alreðeˈðoɾ ðɛl ˈsol ‖ | feh-lee-see-da-des pore oh-tro ve-ah-heh al reh-deh-door del sol |
| To good health and happiness, happy birthday. | Por buena salud y felicidad, feliz cumpleaños. | poɾ ˈβwena saˈluð i felisiˈðað | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | por boo-eh-na sa-lood e feh-lee-see-dad, feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Happy cake day! | ¡Feliz día de pastel! | feˈlis̬ ˈðia ðe pasˈtɛl ‖ | feh-lees dee-ah deh pas-tel |
| Have a great birthday! You deserve it! | ¡Que tengas un gran cumpleaños! ¡Te lo mereces! | ˈke ˈtɛ̃nɡas ũn ˈɡɾãn kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ te lo mɛˈɾeses ‖ | keh ten-gas oon gran coom-pleh-ah-nyos teh lo meh-reh-ses |
| Congratulations on another year well spent! | ¡Felicidades por otro año bien aprovechado! | felisiˈðaðes poɾ ˈotɾo ˈaɲo ˈβjɛn apɾoβeˈʧaðo ‖ | feh-lee-see-da-des por oh-tro ah-nyo bee-en ah-pro-veh-cha-do |
| Happy birthday! Don’t count the candles, just enjoy the glow. | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! No cuentes las velas, solo disfruta su brillo. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ ˈno ˈkwɛ̃ntes̬ las̬ ˈβelas | ˈsolo ðisˈfɾuta su ˈβɾiʝo ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos no coo-en-tes las veh-las so-lo dees-froo-tah soo bree-yo |
2. Singing Happy Birthday in Spanish: Songs and Lyrics
No birthday is complete without a song! Learn the lyrics to the most popular Spanish birthday songs to join in the celebration.
There is more than one traditional happy birthday song in Spanish-speaking countries.
The most common one is almost a word-for-word translation of the English happy birthday song. This is the most popular birthday song in Spain and most of South America. The lyrics are very similar to the English version, although there are two main variations.
Variation 1:
Cumpleaños felizCumpleaños felizTe deseamos todosCumpleaños feliz
Variation 2:
Feliz cumpleaños a tiFeliz cumpleaños a tiFeliz cumpleaõs [birthday person’s name]Feliz cumpleaños a ti
The other popular birthday song is Las Mañanitas. This birthday song is used throughout Mexico and the Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. This one is completely different from the birthday song you’re used to! Check out the lyrics below and see how soon you can sing along to it!
Estas son las mañanitasQue cantaba el rey DavidHoy por ser día de tu santo Te las cantamos aquíDespierta mi bien despiertaMira que ya amanecióYa los pajaritos cantanLa luna ya se metió
3. Adding Humor: Funny Happy Birthday Wishes in Spanish
For those who love a good laugh, here are some humorous ways to wish someone a happy birthday in Spanish. These playful phrases are sure to bring a smile to their face.
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congratulations on getting slightly older! | ¡Felicidades por estar un poco más viejo! | felisiˈðaðes poɾ ɛsˈtaɾ ũm ˈpoko ˈmas̬ ˈβjexo ‖ | feh-lee-see-da-des pore es-tar oon po-co mas vee-eh-ho |
| Everyone gets to be young once. Today it’s official, your turn is over. Happy birthday! | Todos tienen la oportunidad de ser jóvenes alguna vez. Hoy es oficial, tu turno ha terminado. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | ˈtoðos ˈtjenɛ̃n la opoɾtuniˈðað ðe ˈsɛɾ ˈxoβenes alˈɣuna ˈβes ‖ ˈoj ˈɛs ofiˈsjal | tu ˈtuɾno ˈa tɛɾmiˈnaðo ‖ feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | toe-dos tee-eh-nen la oh-pore-too-nee-dad deh ser ho-veh-nes al-goo-na ves oh-ey es oh-fee-see-al too toor-no ah tehr-me-na-do feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Older? Definitely. Wiser? Debatable. Happy Birthday! | ¿Mayor? Definitivamente. ¿Más sabio? Discutible. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | maˈʝoɾ ‖ definitiβaˈmɛ̃nte ‖ ˈmas ˈsaβjo ‖ diskuˈtiβle ‖ feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | mah-yor deh-fee-nee-tee-va-men-teh mas sah-bee-oh dees-coo-tee-bleh feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| A true friend remembers your birthday, but not your age. | Un verdadero amigo se acuerda de tu cumpleaños, pero no de tu edad. | ũm bɛɾðaˈðɛɾo aˈmiɣo se aˈkwɛɾða ðe tu kũmpleˈaɲos | ˈpɛɾo ˈno ðe tw eˈðað ‖ | oon ver-da-deh-ro ah-me-go seh ah-coo-air-da deh too coom-pleh-ah-nyos peh-ro no deh too eh-dad |
| Happy birthday! Super glad you were born. | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! Estoy super contento de que hayas nacido. | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ ɛsˈtoi̯ suˈpɛɾ kõnˈtɛ̃nto ðe ˈke ˈaʝas̬ naˈsiðo ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos es-toy soo-per con-ten-toe deh keh ah-yas nah-see-doh |
| May you live so long your wrinkles have wrinkles. Happy birthday! | Que vivas tanto que tus arrugas tengan sus propias arrugas. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | ˈke ˈβiβas ˈtãnto ˈke tus aˈruɣas ˈtɛ̃nɡãn sus ˈpɾopjas aˈruɣas ‖ feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | keh vee-vas tan-toe keh toos ah-roo-gas ten-gan soos pro-pee-as ah-roo-gas feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| Happy birthday! Here’s to another year of questionable life decisions! | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! ¡Por un año más lleno de decisiones cuestionables! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ poɾ un ˈaɲo ˈmas̬ ˈʝeno ðe ðesiˈsjones kwɛstjoˈnaβles ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos pore oon ah-nyo mas yeh-no deh deh |
| Happy birthday! But please stop growing up, it’s a trap! | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! Pero, por favor deja de crecer, ¡es una trampa! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ ˈpɛɾo | poɾ faˈβoɾ ˈðexa ðe kɾeˈsɛɾ | ˈɛs ˈuna ˈtɾãmpa ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos peh-ro pore fa-vore deh-ha deh creh-ser es oo-na tram-pah |
| I wish you a happier birthday than anyone else has wished you! | ¡Te deseo un cumpleaños más feliz que cualquier otra persona te ha deseado! | te ðeˈseo ũ̯n kũmpleˈaɲos̬ ˈmas feˈlis ˈke kwalˈkjɛɾ ˈotɾa pɛɾˈsona te ˈa ðeseˈaðo ‖ | teh deh-seh-oh oon coom-pleh-ah-nyos mas feh-lees keh coo-al-key-air oh-tra pear-so-na teh ah deh-seh-ah-doh |
| Congratulations on getting through another 365 days! | ¡Felicidades por sobrevivir otros 365 días! | felisiˈðaðes poɾ soβɾeβiˈβiɾ ˈotɾos tɾeˈsjɛ̃ntos seˈsɛ̃nta i̯ ˈsĩnko ˈðias ‖ | feh-lee-see-da-des pore so-bre-vee-vir oh-tros tres-see-en-tos-seh-sen-ta-e-seen-co dee-as |
| Happy oldest-you-have-ever-been and youngest-you-will-ever-be-again day. | Feliz día de lo-más-viejo-que-has-sido y lo-más-joven-que-jamás-serás. | feˈlis̬ ˈðia ðe lo ˈmas̬ ˈβjexo ˈke ˈas ˈsiðo i̯ lo ˈmas ˈxoβɛ̃n ˈke xaˈmas sɛˈɾas ‖ | feh-lees dee-ah deh lo mas vee-eh-ho keh as see-doh e lo mas ho-ven keh ha-mas seh-ras |
| Happy level up day! | ¡Feliz día de subir de nivel! | feˈlis̬ ˈðia ðe suˈβiɾ ðe niˈβɛl ‖ | feh-lees dee-ah deh soo-bir deh ne-vel |
| Didn’t we just celebrate this like a year ago? Happy birthday! | ¿Qué no celebramos esto hace como un año? ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | ˈke ˈno seleˈβɾamos ˈɛsto ˈase ˈkomo u̯n ˈaɲo ‖ feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | keh no seh-leh-bra-mos es-toe ah-seh coh-mo oon ah-nyo feh-lees cum-pleh-anyos |
| Happy birthday! And if somebody says you’re old, hit them with your walking stick! | ¡Feliz cumpleaños! Y si alguien te dice que estás viejo, ¡pégales con tu bastón! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ i sj ˈalɣjɛ̃n te ˈðise ˈke ɛsˈtas̬ ˈβjexo | ˈpeɣales kõn tu βasˈtõn ‖ | feh-lees-coom-pleh-ah-nyos e see al-gee-ehn teh dee-seh keh es-tas vee-eh-ho peh-ga-les con too bas-ton |
| I know it’s your special day, but please take it slow. Too many birthdays can kill you. | Ya sé que es tu día especial, pero por favor tómalo con calma. Muchos cumpleaños te pueden matar. | ɟʝa ˈse ˈke ˈɛs tu ˈðia ɛspeˈsjal | ˈpɛɾo poɾ faˈβoɾ ˈtomalo kõn ˈkalma ‖ ˈmuʧos kũmpleˈaɲos te ˈpweðɛ̃m maˈtaɾ ‖ | ya seh keh es too dee-ah es-peh-see-al pear-oh pore eh-so to-mah-lo con cal-ma moo-chos coom-pleh-ah-nyos teh poo-eh-den ma-tar |
| Today’s a great excuse for you to make some bad decisions. Let’s party! | Hoy es una gran excusa para que tomes malas decisiones. ¡Vámonos de fiesta! | ˈoj ˈɛs ˈuna ˈɣɾan ɛksˈkusa ˈpaɾa ˈke ˈtomes̬ ˈmalas̬ ðesiˈsjones ‖ ˈbamonos̬ ðe ˈfjɛsta ‖ | oh-ey es oo-na gran ex-coo-sa pa-ra keh to-mes ma-las deh-see-see-oh-nes va-mo-nos deh fee-es-ta |
| You’re a year closer to getting that senior citizen’s discount. Keep at it! | Estás un año más cerca de que te den descuento de adultos mayores. ¡Sigue así! | ɛsˈtas un ˈaɲo ˈmas ˈsɛɾka ðe ˈke te ˈðɛ̃n dɛsˈkwɛ̃nto ðe aˈðultos̬ maˈʝoɾes ‖ ˈsiɣe aˈsi ‖ | es-tas oon ah-nyo mas ser-ca de keh te den des-coo-en-tos deh ah-dool-tos mah-yo-res see-geh ah-see |
| Like a fine wine, you only get better with time! | Como un buen vino, ¡solo mejoras con los años! | ˈkomo ũ̯m ˈbwɛ̃m ˈbino | ˈsolo meˈxoɾas kõn los ˈaɲos ‖ | co-mo oon boo-en ve-no so-lo meh-ho-ras con los ah-nyos |
| Another year without dying. Good for you! | Otro año más de no morir. ¡Bien por ti! | ˈotɾo ˈaɲo ˈmas̬ ðe ˈno moˈɾiɾ ‖ ˈbjɛ̃m poɾ ˈti ‖ | oh-tro ah-nyo mas deh no mo-reer bee-en por ti |
| Did you know birthdays are good for you? Studies show that the more you have, the longer you live! | ¿Sabías que los cumpleaños son buenos para la salud? Varios estudios demuestran que mientras más tengas, ¡más vas a vivir! | saˈβias ˈke los kũmpleˈaɲos ˈsõm ˈbwenos ˈpaɾa la saˈluð ‖ ˈbaɾjos ɛsˈtuðjos̬ ðeˈmwɛstɾãn ˈke ˈmjɛ̃ntɾas̬ ˈmas ˈtɛ̃nɡas | ˈmas̬ ˈβas a βiˈβiɾ ‖ | sah-bee-as keh los coom-pleh-ah-nyos son boo-eh-nos pa-ra la sa-lood vah-ree-os es-too-dee-os deh-moo-es-tran keh me-en-tras mas ten-gas mas vas ah vee-veer |
| Happy stuff your face with cake day! | ¡Feliz día de atascarte de pastel! | feˈlis̬ ˈðia ðe atasˈkaɾte ðe pasˈtɛl ‖ | feh-lees dee-ah deh ah-tas-car-teh deh pas-tel |
| Happy birthday to one of the few people whose birthday I can remember without a Facebook reminder. | ¡Feliz cumpleaños a una de las pocas personas cuyo cumpleaños puedo recordar sin un recordatorio de Facebook! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos a ˈuna ðe las ˈpokas pɛɾˈsonas ˈkuʝo kũmpleˈaɲos ˈpweðo rekoɾˈðaɾ sin ũn rekoɾðaˈtoɾjo ðe faseβoˈok ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos ah oo-na deh las po-cas per-so-nas coo-yo coom-pleh-ah-nyos poo-eh-do reh-cor-dar seen oon reh-core-da-toe-re-oh de facebook |
| Happy birthday, and remember that growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional! | Feliz cumpleaños, y recuerda que crecer es obligatorio, pero ¡madurar es opcional! | feˈlis kũmpleˈaɲos | i reˈkwɛɾða ˈke kɾeˈsɛɾ ˈɛs oβliɣaˈtoɾjo | ˈpɛɾo maðuˈɾaɾ ˈɛs opsjoˈnal ‖ | feh-lees coom-pleh-ah-nyos e reh-coo-air-da keh creh-ser es oh-blee-gah-toe-ree-oh peh-ro ma-doo-rar es op-see-oh-nal |
4. Crafting the Perfect Birthday Card Message in Spanish
Personalize your birthday wishes with a heartfelt message. Here’s how to write a thoughtful birthday card in Spanish, complete with useful phrases for various contexts.
Opening
Opening a letter in English is quite easy, as the standard “Dear” is almost always used. In Spanish, you have to make a decision that will impact the tone of the entire letter: Estimado or Querido.
Estimado translates directly into “Esteemed,” but it can also mean “Dear.” This is the more formal of the two, so this is what you would use if you were writing a birthday card for your boss or your mother-in-law. If you open your letter with Estimado, then you would normally write the rest of the letter using the formal usted.
On the other hand, starting with Querido is a lot more casual and intimate. It roughly translates to “beloved,” so it wouldn’t be an appropriate way to open a letter to your boss. However, feel free to use it freely with romantic partners, family members, and good friends. You would write the rest of your letter with the informal tú after opening it with Querido.
Body
The body of your birthday card is where you can really personalize it and give it your own spin. Here, you can go as formal or casual as you’d like, depending on who you’re addressing your letter to and what your relationship with them is like.
So, we’ll give you a few example sentences that you can use for different contexts, depending on if you’re trying to say happy birthday grandma in Spanish or want to send a respectful birthday card to your boss.
| English | Spanish | Context |
|---|---|---|
| I hope that your birthday is full of pleasant surprises and I wish you the best in the upcoming year. | Espero que este cumpleaños esté lleno de sorpresas gratas y le deseo lo mejor en el próximo año. | Formal |
| I hope you have an incredible time celebrating your birthday and that all your wishes come true. | Espero que te la pases increíble en tu cumpleaños y que todos tus deseos se vuelvan realidad | Casual |
| I wish you a very happy birthday and all the success in every endeavor this upcoming year. | Le deseo un muy feliz cumpleaños y mucho éxito en todos los ámbitos este siguiente año. | Formal |
| Have tons of fun and celebrate to the max! | ¡Diviértete mucho y festeja al máximo! | Casual |
| Our team wishes you an excellent birthday and much success ahead. | Nuestro equipo le desea un excelente cumpleaños y mucho éxito por delante. | Formal |
| I wish you the best of birthdays and send you a big hug. | Te deseo el mejor de los cumpleaños y te mando un muy fuerte abrazo. | Casual |
Closing
Likewise, there are a few different ways to close out your birthday message depending on the context. Here are a few popular phrases for ending your birthday card like a pro, along with the corresponding context.
| English | Spanish | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Respectfully | Atentamente | Formal |
| With much affection | Con mucho cariño | Informal |
| Respectfully | Un cordial saludo | Formal |
| Kisses | Un beso | Informal |
5. Essential Questions and Vocabulary for Birthday Conversations in Spanish
Be prepared for any birthday conversation! Here are common questions and essential vocabulary related to birthdays in Spanish.
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| When is your birthday? | ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? | ˈkwãndo ˈɛs tu kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | coo-an-do es too coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| How old are you turning? | ¿Cuántos años cumples? | ˈkwãntos ˈaɲos ˈkũmples ‖ | coo-an-tos ah-nyos coom-ples |
| What do you want to do for your birthday? | ¿Qué quieres hacer en tu cumpleaños? | ˈke ˈkjɛɾes aˈsɛɾ ɛ̃n tu kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | keh key-air-es ah-ser en too coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| What do you want to get for your birthday? | ¿Qué quieres de regalo de cumpleaños? | ˈke ˈkjɛɾes̬ ðe reˈɣalo ðe kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | keh key-air-es deh reh-ga-lo deh coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| What did you get for your birthday? | ¿Qué te regalaron de cumpleaños? | ˈke te reɣaˈlaɾõn de kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | keh teh reh-ga-la-ron deh coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
| How was your birthday? | ¿Qué tal estuvo tu cumpleaños? | ˈke ˈtal ɛsˈtuβo tu kũmpleˈaɲos ‖ | keh tal es-too-vo too coom-pleh-ah-nyos |
Birthday Vocabulary in Spanish
| English | Spanish | IPA | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birthday party | La fiesta de cumpleaños | ˈfjɛsta ðe kũ |
