You undoubtedly want to greet your friends who speak Spanish and a happy birthday in their mother tongue. “Feliz cumpleaos” is the most typical Spanish expression for “happy birthday.” Moreover, there are a few more things you may add to your birthday greetings to make them more unique or personalized.
You might also choose to participate in the local cultural customs associated with birthday parties in your friend’s nation. Furthermore, to know how to wish a happy birthday in Spanish, continue reading the article!
Some Expressions To Wish Happy Birthday In Spanish
¡Feliz cumpleaños! – Happy birthday!
¡Felicidades en tu día! – Congratulations on your day!
Desear un feliz cumpleaños – To wish a happy birthday
¡Feliz cumpleaños atrasado! – Belated happy birthday!
¡Felicidades! – Congratulations!
¡Que cumplas muchos más! – Hope you have many more!
¡Feliz aniversario! – Happy anniversary!
1. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! – Happy birthday!
Feliz cumpleaos, which directly translates to “happy birthday” as you might have guessed, is one of the most typical ways to wish someone a happy birthday in Spanish.
Happy birthday! is a common greeting that is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts. Also, it is widely used in Spanish-speaking nations.
2. ¡Felicidades en tu día! – Congratulations On Your Day!
Felicidades en tu da is a typical statement that we can use to wish someone a happy birthday in Spanish. Compared to “feliz cumpleaos,” this statement is a little more formal. In actuality, we only apply it to acquaintances and distant relatives.
Your personal preference will ultimately determine whether you choose to use it or not. “Congratulations on your day,” is what “felicidade en tu da” implies. Moreover, by altering the possessive adjective, you can make this phrase more formal.
3. Desear un feliz cumpleaños – To Wish A Happy Birthday
When wishing someone a happy birthday in Spanish, we commonly use the expression desear un feliz cumpleaos. Additionally, in both official and informal contexts, this statement can be translated as “to wish a happy birthday.”
Desiring a happy birthday works with a verb, unlike the other phrases on this list. Further, to make your sentence unique, you’ll need to conjugate the verb “desear.”
4. ¡Feliz cumpleaños atrasado! – Belated Happy Birthday!
“Feliz cumpleaos atrasado!” is here to help if you have trouble remembering birthdays or if you somehow failed to wish the cumpleaero or cumpleaera your best wishes.
Happy birthday wishes are expressed in Spanish with the phrase feliz cumpleaos atrasado. As a result, “Belated happy birthday” or “late happy birthday” is the literal translation of this phrase. Like other expressions, “late happy birthday” is acceptable in both professional and informal settings.
The more formal expression, ¡Feliz cumpleaños tardío!’ also conveys the same message. Moreover, to be quite honest, I’ve only ever heard this phrase in seriously formal discussions, formal movies, or formal novels.
5. ¡Felicidades! – Congratulations!
Felicidades is the Spanish word for congratulations. Consequently, you may say this to someone else to wish them a happy birthday. This term is common, therefore you can use it in both official and informal ways.
Celebrating Birthdays In Spain Or Latin America
1. Get Ready For A Family-wide Celebration
Birthday celebrations are often hosted by the birthday person’s family, however, guests may be invited. Usually, the entire family, including the extended family, is there.
- Expect the family to be welcoming, warm, and loving if you attend one of these gatherings as a friend. Hugging a lot of strangers could happen to you, especially in Spain.
2. At Mexican Birthday Celebrations, Eat In A “Tres Leches” Cake
The “tres leches” cake is a sizable, multicolored cake that is the focal point of Mexican birthday celebrations. These cakes often designed with a theme that reflects a favorite pastime of the birthday person.
- For instance, you could anticipate the “tres leches” cake to be decorated to resemble a soccer field, replete with miniature players and spectators cheering on their teams. If the person celebrating their birthday is a major soccer enthusiast.
3. Put On Your Blindfold And Hit A Pinata
One of the most popular Spanish customs is the pinata. Moreover, these colorful papel maché figures come in a variety of sizes and forms and are loaded with tiny toys and treats. Partygoers alternately try to whack the pinata with a stick until it explodes, spilling treats everywhere for everyone to enjoy.
4. Watch How The Family Members Smash The Cake Into The Face Of The Birthday Person
Particularly in Mexico, the birthday celebrant’s hands are tied behind their backs before they can take the first slice of the birthday cake. Partygoers yell “Mordida!” all around them.
“Mordida” means “to bite,” in Spanish. The chorus from the partygoers in this situation encourages the birthday celebrant to eat their birthday cake.
5. Whenever You Can, Give Symbolic Presents
Particularly in Spain, birthday presents are not often extravagant or expensive. It’s customary to give kids little gifts, most frequently consisting of books, toys, and candies. Some adults may not receive any gifts at all.
If you don’t feel good attending a birthday party without a present, think about giving something useful like a calendar, mug, or nice pen.
Conclusion
In this article, we mentioned how to wish happy birthdays in Spanish to your Spanish friends. Give it a read to know more about the terms we say in Spanish to wish birthdays!
Also read: 50 Birthday Wishes for Your Best Friend
