Happy birthday in Korean is 생일 축하해 (saengil chukahae) to friends and family your age, 생일 축하해요 (saengil chukahaeyo) to people you speak to politely, and 생일 축하합니다 (saengil chukahamnida) in formal settings. For grandparents and other elders, use the honorific 생신 축하드려요 (saengsin chukadeuryeoyo).
- Casual
- 생일 축하해 (saengil chukahae)
- Polite
- 생일 축하해요 (saengil chukahaeyo)
- Formal
- 생일 축하합니다 (saengil chukahamnida)
- To elders
- 생신 축하드려요 (saengsin chukadeuryeoyo)
- Level
- A1
Which happy birthday fits which person?
생일 (saengil) is birthday and 축하하다 (chukahada) means to congratulate, so the phrase is literally "congratulations on your birthday". As with every Korean sentence, the verb ending carries the politeness.
| Korean | Romanization | Speech level | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 생일 축하해 | saengil chukahae | Casual (반말) | Friends, siblings, a partner, children |
| 생일 축하해요 | saengil chukahaeyo | Polite (해요체) | Colleagues, acquaintances, a friend's parents |
| 생일 축하합니다 | saengil chukahamnida | Formal (합쇼체) | Work messages, cards, a group singing to someone |
| 생신 축하드려요 | saengsin chukadeuryeoyo | Honorific, polite | Grandparents, parents, older relatives |
| 생신 축하드립니다 | saengsin chukadeurimnida | Honorific, formal | A senior colleague, a teacher, a formal card to an elder |
Two honorific swaps happen at once in the last rows: 생신 (saengsin) replaces 생일, and 축하드리다 (chukadeurida) replaces 축하하다, humbly "offering" your congratulations. Using 생일 축하해 to your grandmother would sound like talking to a classmate.
What else do Koreans write in a birthday message?
Add the person's name at the start or end, and perhaps 진심으로 (jinsimeuro, sincerely) for warmth. Friends' messages are often a single casual line.
생일 축하해, 지은아!
Saengil chukahae, Jieuna!
Happy birthday, Jieun!
The 아 after a name is a casual way of calling a friend.
진심으로 축하해요.
Jinsimeuro chukahaeyo.
Warmest congratulations.
Literally "I congratulate you from the heart".
오늘 좋은 하루 보내!
Oneul joeun haru bonae!
Have a great day today!
Casual.
생일이 언제예요?
Saengiri eonjeyeyo?
When is your birthday?
How do Koreans celebrate birthdays?
A bowl of 미역국 (miyeokguk), seaweed soup, is the traditional birthday breakfast. It is the soup mothers eat after giving birth, so it is linked with the day you were born. Some older Koreans also keep their birthday by the lunar calendar, so the date moves each year.
A few birthdays are major family events. A baby's first is 돌 (dol), celebrated with a party called 돌잔치 (doljanchi). Later landmarks include 환갑 (hwangap) for the 60th, 칠순 (chilsun) for the 70th and 팔순 (palsun) for the 80th, often marked with a big family meal, or 잔치 (janchi). One Contos A1 series is built around exactly that: a son secretly booking his mother's 팔순 party.
Read Operation Eightieth Feast in Korean at A1: a surprise party where everyone has a secret.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce saengil chukahae?
Roughly "seng-il choo-ka-heh". In 축하 the k and h merge into one strong, breathy k sound, which is why you will see it romanized as chuka or chukha.
Why is it spelled chukahae and chukhahae?
Both are attempts at 축하해. Revised Romanization writes the sound you hear, chukahae, while many fans and textbooks keep the h from the spelling, chukhahae. The Hangul is the same.
Do Koreans still use Korean age on birthdays?
Since June 2023 South Korea has used international age in law and official documents, so a birthday adds a year just as it does elsewhere. Some people still mention the traditional count in casual conversation.
How do you say happy birthday to your grandmother in Korean?
Say 할머니, 생신 축하드려요 (halmeoni, saengsin chukadeuryeoyo). It uses the honorific 생신 for birthday and the humble 드리다 ending, both expected with grandparents.