TooterHow to say happy birthday in Spanish
Happy birthday in Spanish is ¡feliz cumpleaños! (feh-LEES koom-pleh-AH-nyohs). It works for anyone. You'll also hear ¡felicidades! (congratulations), a very common birthday wish, and ¡feliz cumple! among friends.
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Where will you celebrate in Spanish?
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Every way to say happy birthday
Start with feliz cumpleaños, then add a wish if you like.
The standard wish, for anyone from a coworker to your grandmother.
Very common on birthdays, alone or with feliz cumpleaños. ¡Muchas felicidades! is warmer still.
Short form for friends, texts and social media.
A classic follow-up to feliz cumpleaños. With usted: ¡Que cumpla muchos más!
Good for a card or a message.
Usted form, for a boss, a client or an older person you don't know well.
Latin American. In Spain, ¡Que pases un buen día! is more usual.
Fine among friends. Skip it with older people unless they bring it up.
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Wishing a friend happy birthday
Arriving at a friend's birthday dinner with a small gift.
Getting feliz cumpleaños right
Keep the ñ
Cumpleaños is built from cumple (completes) and años (years): the day you complete another year. Don't drop the tilde: años means years, but anos means something very different.
Stress the ña
Say koom-pleh-AH-nyohs, with the stress on -ña. The ñ sounds like the ny in canyon.
One word, always with s
Cumpleaños ends in s even for one birthday: el cumpleaños, mi cumpleaños. Cumpleaño without the s is a common mistake.
Know the songs
Many countries sing Cumpleaños feliz to the familiar tune: Cumpleaños feliz, cumpleaños feliz, te deseamos todos, cumpleaños feliz. The words vary by country. In Mexico, families also sing Las mañanitas, which begins Estas son las mañanitas que cantaba el rey David.
Birthday wishes for cards and texts
Copy one into a card or a message. The last one is for your own birthday.
- politeQue se cumplan todos tus deseos.May all your wishes come true.
A classic line for a card, often after feliz cumpleaños.
- casual¡Que la pases muy bien!Have a great time!
Latin American. In Spain: ¡Que lo pases muy bien!
- politeQue este año te traiga mucha felicidad.May this year bring you lots of happiness.
Warm and safe for friends, family and coworkers.
- polite¡Muchas felicidades en tu día!Best wishes on your day!
Very common in Mexico, in person and in messages.
- casual¡Feliz cumpleaños, hermosa!Happy birthday, beautiful!
To a partner or a close female friend. To a man: ¡Feliz cumpleaños, guapo!
- casual¡Feliz cumpleaños atrasado!Happy belated birthday!
For when you missed the day. Often with perdón por el retraso (sorry it's late).
- casualUn abrazo muy fuerte.A big hug.
A common way to sign off a birthday message to a friend.
- casualGracias por acordarte.Thanks for remembering.
Your reply when someone wishes you happy birthday. With usted: Gracias por acordarse.
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@learningwith.michelleQuestions learners ask
What does feliz cumpleaños mean?
It means happy birthday. Feliz is happy, and cumpleaños comes from cumplir años, to complete (turn) years.
How do Mexicans say happy birthday?
Mexicans say ¡feliz cumpleaños! or ¡muchas felicidades!, and ¡feliz cumple! among friends. Family and friends often sing Las mañanitas, traditionally first thing in the morning or at the party before the cake.
What is a good short birthday wish in Spanish?
¡Feliz cumple! is the quickest, and ¡Que cumplas muchos más! (many happy returns) is a classic. For a card, Te deseo lo mejor en tu día (I wish you the best on your day) is short and warm.
How do you write a happy birthday card in Spanish?
Open with Querido (to a man) or Querida (to a woman) and the name, write ¡Feliz cumpleaños!, add a wish such as Que se cumplan todos tus deseos, and sign off with Un abrazo (a hug) or Con cariño (with love).
How do you say happy birthday, beautiful in Spanish?
Say ¡Feliz cumpleaños, hermosa! or ¡Feliz cumpleaños, preciosa! to a woman, and ¡Feliz cumpleaños, guapo! to a man. To a partner, ¡Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor! is the sweetest.
How do you sing Happy Birthday in Spanish?
Sing it to the usual tune: Cumpleaños feliz, cumpleaños feliz, te deseamos todos, cumpleaños feliz. Some countries sing te deseamos a ti instead, and in Mexico people often sing Las mañanitas too. You can practice the words out loud with a Tooter tutor before the party.
How do you say happy belated birthday in Spanish?
The everyday way is ¡feliz cumpleaños atrasado! You can also say Perdón por el retraso, ¡feliz cumpleaños! (sorry it's late, happy birthday!).
What is the difference between felicidades and felicitaciones?
Felicidades is the usual word for birthdays and holidays. Felicitaciones is more common in Latin America for achievements, like a new job or a graduation.
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Updated October 29, 2026. Tooter tutors are AI characters, not human teachers.