Birthday in different languages

Birthday in Different Languages

Discover 'Birthday' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

Birthdays are a universal concept, yet the way we celebrate them can vary greatly from culture to culture. The word 'birthday' itself is significant, marking the anniversary of the day a person was born and began their journey in this world. This special day is often celebrated with family, friends, and traditions that are unique to each culture.

In many Western cultures, birthday celebrations involve cake, candles, and gifts. But in other parts of the world, birthday traditions can be quite different. For example, in some Asian cultures, it is customary to visit a temple on your birthday to offer prayers and show gratitude for another year of life. And in some South American countries, it is traditional to eat sweets shaped like keys on your birthday, symbolizing the opening of new doors and opportunities in the coming year.

Knowing the translation of 'birthday' in different languages can be a fun way to learn about other cultures and traditions. For example, in Spanish, 'birthday' is 'cumpleaños', while in French, it is 'anniversaire de naissance'. In German, it is 'Geburtstag', and in Italian, it is 'compleanno'.

In this list, you will find the translations of 'birthday' in a variety of languages, from common ones like Spanish and French to more obscure ones like Welsh and Maori. Whether you are planning a multicultural birthday celebration or simply interested in learning more about the world around you, this list is sure to inspire and educate.

Birthday


Birthday in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansverjaarsdag
The Afrikaans word "verjaarsdag" originates from the Dutch word "verjaardag" and literally means "yearly day".
Amharicየልደት ቀን
Hausaranar haihuwa
The Hausa word "ranar haihuwa" literally translates to "day of birth".
Igboụbọchị ọmụmụ
The Igbo word 'ụbọchị ọmụmụ' could also refer to 'anniversary' or be split to mean 'day of birth' or 'day of celebration'.
Malagasyfitsingerenan'ny andro nahaterahana
Nyanja (Chichewa)tsiku lobadwa
The word "tsiku lobadwa" can also mean "day of birth".
Shonabhavhdhe
"Bhavhadhe" can also mean "time" or "era".
Somalidhalasho
The word 'dhalasho' can also refer to a 'gathering of people'.
Sesotholetsatsi la tsoalo
The word is derived from the Sesotho words "letsatsi" (day) and "tsoalo" (birth).
Swahilisiku ya kuzaliwa
Siku ya kuzaliwa is etymologically based on 'kuzaliwa', meaning 'to be born', and 'siku', meaning 'day'.
Xhosausuku lokuzalwa
The Xhosa word “usuku lokuzalwa” literally means “the day of giving birth”.
Yorubaojo ibi
The Yoruba word "ojo ibi" comes from the phrase "ojo ti a bi," meaning "the day on which one was born."
Zuluusuku lokuzalwa
Usuku lokuzalwa comes from the Zulu language and literally means "day of birth".
Bambarawolodon
Ewedzigbe
Kinyarwandaisabukuru
Lingalaaniversere
Lugandaamazaalibwa
Sepediletšatši la matswalo
Twi (Akan)awoda

Birthday in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicعيد الميلاد
عيد الميلاد (Eid al-Milad) is a compound word, with Eid meaning "feast" or "festival" and Milad meaning "birth" or "nativity."
Hebrewיום הולדת
יום הולדת is a compound of the Hebrew words יום (day) and הולדת (birth), but it is also homophonous with יומהולדת (mother's birthday), a Talmudic term referring to a woman's menstrual period.
Pashtoد زیږیدو نیټه
Arabicعيد الميلاد
عيد الميلاد (Eid al-Milad) is a compound word, with Eid meaning "feast" or "festival" and Milad meaning "birth" or "nativity."

Birthday in Western European Languages

Albanianditëlindjen
The word "ditëlindjen" in Albanian shares the same Proto-Indo-European root as the Latin "natalis" (birth), the English "native," and the Russian "rozhdeniye" (birth).
Basqueurtebetetze
The Basque word for "birthday" is "urtebetetze" which means literally "year-anniversary".
Catalananiversari
The Catalan word "aniversari" originates from the Latin "anniversarius," meaning "yearly" or "recurring on a yearly basis.
Croatianrođendan
The Slavic root of "rođendan" also translates to "Christmas."
Danishfødselsdag
The word Fødselsdag is derived from the old Norse word fæðingardagr, which means "day of birth".
Dutchverjaardag
The Dutch word "verjaardag" literally means "day of birth".
Englishbirthday
The word "birthday" is a combination of "birth" and "day".
Frenchanniversaire
The word "anniversaire" comes from the Latin phrase "annus" (year) and "vertere" (to turn), so it literally means "the turning of the year."
Frisianjierdei
The Frisian word for birthday, "jierdei", literally means "yearly day"
Galiciananiversario
The word "aniversario" in Galician comes from the Latin word "anniversarius", meaning "yearly".
Germangeburtstag
The word 'Geburtstag' is derived from 'Geburt' (birth) and 'Tag' (day), but in some regions it can also refer to a person's name day.
Icelandicafmælisdagur
"Afmælisdagur" is derived from the Old Norse word "afmæli," which means "the day of measurement." This refers to the practice of measuring a person's age from the day of their birth.
Irishbreithlá
Breithlá is also the name of an Irish children's cartoon, a children's magazine, and a radio show about Irish folklore.
Italiancompleanno
Italian "compleanno" derives from "compire gli anni", "to complete the years", or "anniversario di nascita".
Luxembourgishgebuertsdag
Gebuertsdag is derived from 'Geburt' (birth) and 'Dag' (day) and literally means 'Day of Birth'.
Maltesegħeluq
The Maltese word "għeluq" is derived from the Arabic word "ghalaq," meaning "to close" or "to complete," signifying the completion of a full year of life.
Norwegianfødselsdag
"Fødselsdag" is derived from the Old Norse "føðelsdagr", meaning "birth day" and also "day of giving birth".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)aniversário
The Portuguese word "aniversário" derives from the Latin "annus" (year) and "vertere" (to turn), meaning "the day the year turns".
Scots Gaelicco-là-breith
The word 'co-là-breith' is a compound noun consisting of the words 'co-là' (life) and 'breith' (birth).
Spanishcumpleaños
The word 'cumpleaños' in Spanish is derived from the Latin phrase 'compleri annos,' meaning 'to complete the years'.
Swedishfödelsedag
**Födelsedag** derives from the Old Norse **fæðingardagr**, meaning 'day of birth'.
Welshpen-blwydd
"Pen-blwydd" literally means "top of a year" and also refers to the "anniversary" of a saint's day or other festival.

Birthday in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianдзень нараджэння
Bosnianrođendan
"Rođendan" literally means "that which was born", in reference to the day of one's birth.
Bulgarianрожден ден
The Bulgarian word 'pojden den' can also refer to 'day of birth', not necessarily of a person.
Czechnarozeniny
The word "narozeniny" comes from the verb "narodit se," meaning "to be born," and the suffix "-iny," which signifies a period of time.
Estoniansünnipäev
"Sünnipäev" means "birthday" in Estonian and literally translates to "birth day."
Finnishsyntymäpäivä
The word "syntymäpäivä" literally means "day of birth" in Finnish.
Hungarianszületésnap
"Születésnap" means "born day" in Hungarian, but literally means "day of the birth."
Latviandzimšanas diena
The Latvian word "dzimšanas diena" literally means "day of birth".
Lithuaniangimtadienis
The word "gimtadienis" has roots in the Baltic languages with "gimti" meaning "to be born" and "dienis" meaning "day" giving the full meaning as "day of birth".
Macedonianроденден
The word “роденден” (birthday) comes from the Slavic root “rod” (to give birth).
Polishurodziny
The word "urodziny" comes from the word "urodzić się", meaning "to be born".
Romanianzi de nastere
The Romanian word "zi de nastere" literally translates to "day of birth."
Russianдень рождения
The word "день рождения" literally means "a day of birth", but in some contexts, it can also refer to the anniversary of a particular event.
Serbianрођендан
The word "рођендан" literally translates to "day of birth" in Serbian.
Slovaknarodeniny
The word "narodeniny" is derived from the Slavic root "rod-", meaning "to give birth" or "to be born".
Slovenianrojstni dan
The word "rojstni dan" is a compound word that literally means "day of birth".
Ukrainianдень народження
“День народження” is also used to refer to someone's birth anniversary.

Birthday in South Asian Languages

Bengaliজন্মদিন
The word জন্মদিন also means "anniversary" or "commemoration".
Gujaratiજન્મદિવસ
The word “જન્મદિવસ” literally means “the day of birth” in Gujarati, and it is also often used to refer to the anniversary of a person's birth.
Hindiजन्मदिन
The word "जन्मदिन" is derived from Sanskrit and literally means "the day of birth".
Kannadaಹುಟ್ಟುಹಬ್ಬ
The word "ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಬ್ಬ" ("birthday") in Kannada can also mean "the day of birth" or "the anniversary of one's birth."
Malayalamജന്മദിനം
'ജന്മദിനം' means 'the day of birth', but it also means 'the day of death'
Marathiवाढदिवस
वाढदिवस is formed by adding the Marathi words 'वाढ' (meaning growth) and 'दिवस' (meaning day).
Nepaliजन्मदिन
In Nepali, the word "जन्मदिन" literally means "birth day"
Punjabiਜਨਮਦਿਨ
The word "janamdin" has two parts, "janam" meaning "birth" and "din" meaning "day", but the word also refers to the anniversary of someone's death or the first day in office for a priest.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)උපන් දිනය
The word "උපන් දිනය" in Sinhala can also refer to the day a child is born or to a birthday celebration.
Tamilபிறந்த நாள்
The term "பிறந்த நாள்" literally means "born day" in Tamil, implying the day of one's birth.
Teluguపుట్టినరోజు
The word "పుట్టినరోజు" also refers to the act of giving birth and the day on which one is born.
Urduسالگرہ
The Urdu word سالگرہ, meaning birthday, originates from the Sanskrit word 'sarga,' meaning 'creation' or 'beginning'.

Birthday in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)生日
The first character, 生 (shēng), means 'give birth' or 'grow', and the second character, 日 (rì), means 'sun' or 'day'.
Chinese (Traditional)生日
In Chinese, the word 生日 (birthday) can also mean the
Japaneseお誕生日
The literal translation of the characters in “お誕生日” is “Honorable Birth Day”.
Korean생신
생신 can refer to both the birthday of a person and the celebration of an anniversary
Mongolianтөрсөн өдөр
The word "төрсөн өдөр" can also mean "the day of one's birth" or "the anniversary of one's birth."
Myanmar (Burmese)မွေးနေ့

Birthday in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianulang tahun
The Indonesian word "ulang tahun" literally means "repetition of years".
Javaneseulang taun
Literally meaning "return of the year", "ulang taun" has different connotations in different contexts.
Khmerថ្ងៃកំណើត
"ថ្ងៃកំណើត" can also be used to refer to an anniversary, the date on which an event occurred in a previous year.
Laoວັນເກີດ
Malayhari jadi
The term "hari jadi" literally means "day of birth" or "day of arrival" in Malay.
Thaiวันเกิด
The Thai word for birthday, “วันเกิด” (wan keut), also means “the day that occurred,” reflecting the belief that one's destiny is determined based on the day they were born.
Vietnamesesinh nhật
"Sinh nhật" means "to give birth" but also denotes someone's birthday, a clever play on words because the day of birth is like a day of rebirth.
Filipino (Tagalog)kaarawan

Birthday in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniad günü
"Ad günü" in Azerbaijani literally translates to "name day" and refers to both a person's birthday and saint's day.
Kazakhтуған күн
The word "туған күн" literally translates to "birth day" in Kazakh.
Kyrgyzтуулган күн
Tajikзодрӯз
The word зодрӯз ('birthday') is derived from the Persian words 'zo' meaning 'life' and 'rūz' meaning 'day'.
Turkmendoglan güni
Uzbektug'ilgan kun
The word "tug'ilgan kun" literally means "day of birth" in Uzbek.
Uyghurتۇغۇلغان كۈنى

Birthday in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianlā hānau
Lā hānau can also signify a person's conception date.
Maorirā whānau
The word “rā whānau” can also mean 'the day of birth' or 'the day of a person's passing'.
Samoanaso fanau
In Samoan, 'aso fanau' can also refer to a birthday celebration or an anniversary.
Tagalog (Filipino)kaarawan
The word "kaarawan" in Tagalog comes from the root word "araw" which means "day", and the suffix "-an" which indicates a place or a point in time.

Birthday in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaramara phuqhawi
Guaraniaramboty

Birthday in International Languages

Esperantonaskiĝtago
The word "naskiĝtago" derives from the Esperanto words "naskiĝi" (to be born) and "tago" (day) and can also colloquially mean one's "age".
Latinnatalem
The Latin word 'natalem' also translates to 'native'.

Birthday in Others Languages

Greekγενέθλια
The word 'γενέθλια' in Greek does not only mean 'birthday' but can also refer to the 'birth of a new day' or 'origin'.
Hmonghnub yug
The Hmong word "hnub yug" literally means "the day of birth".
Kurdishrojbûn
In Kurdish, "Rojbûn" derives from the words "roj" (day) and "bûn" (existence), signifying the celebration of the day of one's arrival into the world.
Turkishdoğum günü
"Doğum günü" literally translates to "day of birth" in Turkish.
Xhosausuku lokuzalwa
The Xhosa word “usuku lokuzalwa” literally means “the day of giving birth”.
Yiddishדיין געבורסטאָג
The Yiddish word "דיין געבורסטאָג" (dayn geburstog) literally translates to "your day of birth".
Zuluusuku lokuzalwa
Usuku lokuzalwa comes from the Zulu language and literally means "day of birth".
Assameseজন্মদিন
Aymaramara phuqhawi
Bhojpuriजनमदिन
Dhivehiއުފަންދުވަސް
Dogriसाल-गिरह
Filipino (Tagalog)kaarawan
Guaraniaramboty
Ilocanopannakayanak
Kriobatde
Kurdish (Sorani)ڕۆژی لەدایک بوون
Maithiliजन्मदिन
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯃꯄꯣꯈ ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯊ
Mizopiancham
Oromoguyyaa dhalootaa
Odia (Oriya)ଜନ୍ମଦିନ
Quechuapunchawnin
Sanskritजन्मदिवस
Tatarтуган көн
Tigrinyaበዓል ልደት
Tsongasiku ro velekiwa

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