Happy birthday in Japanese is 誕生日おめでとう (tanjōbi omedetō) for friends and family. For colleagues, teachers or anyone you speak to politely, say お誕生日おめでとうございます (otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu): the polite form adds お before 誕生日 and ございます after おめでとう. The birthday person replies ありがとう (arigatō), or ありがとうございます.
- Casual
- 誕生日おめでとう (tanjōbi omedetō)
- Polite
- お誕生日おめでとうございます (otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu)
- Shortest
- おめでとう！ (omedetō!)
- Reply
- ありがとう (arigatō)
- Level
- A1
Which happy birthday fits the person?
The words stay the same; the politeness changes at the edges. お in front of 誕生日 makes it gentler and is common even among friends. ございます at the end makes it properly polite.
| Japanese | Romaji | Register | Say it to |
|---|---|---|---|
| おめでとう！ | omedetō! | Casual | Friends, in person on the day |
| 誕生日おめでとう | tanjōbi omedetō | Casual | Friends, family, a partner |
| お誕生日おめでとう | otanjōbi omedetō | Casual, warm | Children, family, friends; common on cakes and cards |
| お誕生日おめでとうございます | otanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu | Polite | Colleagues, teachers, customers |
| ハッピーバースデー | happī bāsudē | Casual | The English loanword, on cards and in the song |
At parties the song is usually sung with the English words, so you will not need to learn a Japanese version.
What does omedetō mean on its own?
おめでとう means "congratulations", so the birthday greeting is literally "birthday congratulations". The same word marks every happy milestone: put the occasion in front of it.
結婚おめでとう！
Kekkon omedetō!
Congratulations on your wedding!
合格おめでとうございます。
Gōkaku omedetō gozaimasu.
Congratulations on passing.
An exam or an entrance test.
あけましておめでとうございます。
Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu.
Happy New Year.
Said from 1 January, not before.
Say it "oh-meh-deh-toh", holding the final ō a beat longer than the other vowels.
How do you talk about birthdays in Japanese?
To say whose birthday it is, use [person] の誕生日です. This plain pattern opens one of the A1 series in the Contos library.
日曜日は ふみの 誕生日です。Nichiyōbi wa Fumi no tanjōbi desu.
誕生日はいつですか。
Tanjōbi wa itsu desu ka.
When is your birthday?
私の誕生日は三月十日です。
Watashi no tanjōbi wa sangatsu tōka desu.
My birthday is 10 March.
十日 is read tōka, not jū-nichi: the first ten days of the month have special readings.
二十歳の誕生日おめでとう！
Hatachi no tanjōbi omedetō!
Happy twentieth birthday!
Twenty years old has its own word, 二十歳 (hatachi).
What do Japanese people write in a birthday message?
A card or message usually adds a wish for the year ahead after the greeting. Thanks are common too, because a birthday is a natural moment to say what someone means to you.
素敵な一年になりますように。
Suteki na ichinen ni narimasu yō ni.
Wishing you a wonderful year.
いつもありがとう。これからもよろしくね。
Itsumo arigatō. Korekara mo yoroshiku ne.
Thanks for always being there. Here's to the years ahead.
Casual, to a friend or partner.
健康で幸せな一年をお過ごしください。
Kenkō de shiawase na ichinen o osugoshi kudasai.
I wish you a healthy and happy year.
Polite, for a colleague or teacher.
Some birthdays carry tradition. The 60th, 還暦 (kanreki), marks a full cycle of the old zodiac calendar and is traditionally celebrated with a red sleeveless jacket.
Read the first chapters of Grandma's Secret Celebration free, and tap 誕生日 or any word for its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce tanjōbi omedetō?
"Tahn-joh-bee oh-meh-deh-toh". Both ō sounds are long, so hold them slightly. The n in tan is a full beat of its own.
How do you say happy belated birthday in Japanese?
遅くなったけど、誕生日おめでとう (osoku natta kedo, tanjōbi omedetō), "it's late, but happy birthday". Politely: 遅くなりましたが、お誕生日おめでとうございます.
How do you reply to happy birthday in Japanese?
ありがとう (arigatō), or ありがとうございます politely. A warm extra is 覚えててくれてありがとう (oboete te kurete arigatō), "thanks for remembering".
Is otanjōbi more polite than tanjōbi?
Slightly. The お softens it, and adults use otanjōbi omedetō with friends too. Real politeness comes from ございます at the end.