Spanish · Greetings & Essentials
"Happy birthday!" in Spanish: ¡feliz cumpleaños!
¡feliz cumpleaños!
Happy birthday in Spanish is ¡feliz cumpleaños! Feliz cumpleaños works in cards and speech. The song often starts Las mañanitas in Mexico.
At a party
¡Feliz cumpleaños! Sopla las velas.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ¡feliz cumpleaños!
Say it
feh-LEES koom-pleh-AH-nyohs
/feˈlis kum.pleˈa.ɲos/
feh-LEES koom-pleh-AH-nyohs. Stress LEES and AH. The ñ is like ny in canyon.
"Happy birthday!" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¡feliz cumpleaños! | happy birthday! Default wish. | Default wish. |
| feliz cumpleaños, [nombre] | happy birthday, [name] Add the person's name. | Add the person's name. |
| que pases un feliz cumpleaños | have a happy birthday Longer warm wish. | Longer warm wish. |
| las mañanitas | Mexican birthday song Often sung instead of the English tune in Mexico. | Often sung instead of the English tune in Mexico. |
How to use ¡feliz cumpleaños! in real life
- 1At a party
¡Feliz cumpleaños! Sopla las velas.
Happy birthday! Blow out the candles.
Feliz cumpleaños opens the cheer.
- 2Phone call
Solo llamaba para decir feliz cumpleaños.
I just called to say happy birthday.
Lowercase feliz cumpleaños fits mid-sentence.
- 3Card message
Feliz cumpleaños, Ana. Te queremos.
Happy birthday, Ana. We love you.
Feliz cumpleaños plus a name feels personal.
Mistakes English speakers make with ¡feliz cumpleaños!
Incorrect: ¡Feliz cumpleañós!
Correct: ¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Accent sits on the a: cumpleaños. Not cumpleañós.
Incorrect: ¡Felices cumpleaños! (to one person)
Correct: ¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Keep feliz singular for one birthday. Feliz cumpleaños is the set phrase.
Good to know
Mexico often sings Las mañanitas before cake. Feliz cumpleaños still works everywhere as the spoken wish. Cake moments feel family-centered across Latin America.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Surprising a roommate on their birthday
ChatPal
¿Listo para el pastel?
Ready for the cake?
You
¡Feliz cumpleaños! Sopla ya.
Happy birthday! Blow now.
ChatPal
Gracias. Qué sorpresa.
Thanks. What a surprise.
You
Feliz cumpleaños otra vez. Pide un deseo.
Happy birthday again. Make a wish.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Happy birthday!" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Happy birthday!" in Spanish
How do you pronounce ñ in cumpleaños?
Like ny in canyon: AH-nyohs. Feliz cumpleaños needs that ñ sound.
Feliz or felices?
Use feliz cumpleaños for one person. That set phrase stays singular.
Is there a birthday song?
Mexico often sings Las mañanitas. The spoken wish remains feliz cumpleaños.
Card or speech?
Same words: feliz cumpleaños works in both.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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