Learn Japanese
5 Ways to Say “Happy Birthday” in Japanese
1. お誕生日おめでとうございます
（おたんじょうびおめでとうございます）
Otanjoubi Omedetou Gozaimasu
Happy Birthday (Formal)
This phrase is the most polite way to give someone well wishes on their birthday! It’s a form of keigo, 敬語（けいご）—polite speech, a cornerstone of speaking the Japanese language.
2. お誕生日おめでとう
（おたんじょうびおめでとう）
Otanjoubi Omedetou
Happy Birthday (Casual)
If you’re a good friend or family member of the person turning a year older, you can save yourself a few syllables and leave off gozaimasu, or even the “o” in otanjoubi. This phrase implies a more casual, familiar vibe between the speaker and the listener.
3. おたおめ
Ota Ome
Happy Birthday (Abbreviated Slang)
You may have noticed that the more formal a phrase is, the longer it becomes as polite speech is added on to it. The reverse seems to be true, too! Shortening otanjoubi omedetou, you get the super-snappy ota ome. This version of “happy birthday” is slang that’s used only in very casual settings, especially online, and is generally used more by the younger generation.
4. 〇〇歳のお誕生日おめでとう。
（〇〇さいのおたんじょうびおめでとう。）
〇〇-sai no Otanjoubi Omedetou
Happy Xth Birthday
Is someone celebrating an important year? Or maybe you want to be more specific in your birthday wishes. In that case, use this phrase, which allows you to input the specific age someone is turning.
Note that although you’re technically counting in ordinal numbers (first, second, third… birthdays), you use the cardinal readings of Japanese numbers here (issai, nisai, sansai… no otanjoubi).
5. ハッピーバースデー
（はっぴーばーすでー）
Happii Baasudee
Happy Birthday
Given how loanwords are fairly common in the Japanese language, this one shouldn’t be much of a surprise! You can even mix and match and say, happii otanjoubi.
Japanese Vocabulary About Birthday
Related Post:
Basic Japanese Time Vocabulary
Time and Date Vocabulary in Japanese
