How to Say Happy Birthday in Japanese (Without Embarrassing Yourself)

Have you ever wanted to impress your Japanese friend by saying Happy Birthday in their language, only to freeze up and panic when the moment arrived? You’re not alone. Japanese can be tricky, especially when you realize that a simple phrase like Happy Birthday isn’t as straightforward as you’d expect. But don’t worry, I’ve got your back. By the end of this post, you’ll be a birthday-greeting pro—and you won’t accidentally tell someone their rice cooker is on fire instead.

🎉 The Basic Birthday Greeting: お誕生日おめでとう！ (Otanjoubi omedetou!)

Let’s start with the bread and butter of birthday wishes. The most common way to say Happy Birthday in Japanese is:

お誕生日おめでとう！ (Otanjoubi omedetou!)

• お誕生日 (Otanjoubi) – This means “birthday.”
• おめでとう (Omedetou) – This means “congratulations.”

Put them together, and you get something like “Congratulations on your birthday!” (Which, let’s be honest, is a much more enthusiastic way of acknowledging someone’s existence than just “Happy Birthday.”)

🎂 Fancy Version: お誕生日おめでとうございます！ (Otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu!)

If you’re talking to your boss, your teacher, or your Japanese mother-in-law (whom you’re still trying to impress), you might want to use the more polite form:

お誕生日おめでとうございます！ (Otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu!)

That extra ございます (gozaimasu) at the end adds a nice touch of respect. It’s like the difference between saying Hey, what’s up? and Good afternoon, sir. (Choose wisely.)

🎁 Saying Happy Birthday Casually (Because Not Everyone’s a Samurai)

If you’re chatting with close friends, you can make things even more casual:

• 誕生日おめでとう！ (Tanjoubi omedetou!) – Dropping the “お” at the beginning makes it even more relaxed.
• ハッピーバースデー！ (Happī bāsudē!) – Yep, it’s just “Happy Birthday” but Japanified. Useful if your brain short-circuits mid-sentence.

🎊 Extra Birthday Wishes (If You Want to Sound Extra Cool)

Want to go beyond just Happy Birthday? Try adding these:

• 素敵な一年になりますように！ (Suteki na ichinen ni narimasu you ni!) – “I hope you have a wonderful year!”
• 楽しい誕生日を過ごしてね！ (Tanoshii tanjoubi wo sugoshite ne!) – “Have a fun birthday!”
• 最高の誕生日を！ (Saikou no tanjoubi wo!) – “Have the best birthday!”

(Warning: If you say these too well, your Japanese friends might start assuming you’re fluent, and before you know it, you’ll be trapped in a conversation about taxes in Japan.)

🎶 Birthday Songs: Does Japan Sing Happy Birthday?

Short answer: Yes! Japan has pretty much adopted the English Happy Birthday song. If you walk into a Japanese karaoke bar and start singing, people will probably join in. But, if you want to go full native, here’s a Japanese version:

🎵 Happy Birthday to You

🎵 お誕生日おめでとう (Otanjoubi omedetou)

🎵 お誕生日おめでとう (Otanjoubi omedetou)

🎵 ◯◯ちゃん/さん、お誕生日おめでとう ([Name]-chan/san, otanjoubi omedetou)

🎵 おめでとう！ (Omedetou!)

(Feel free to sing this to your Japanese friends, but be warned—expect some awkward clapping at the end.)

🎂 Bonus: What NOT to Say on a Japanese Birthday

Because nothing ruins a birthday like an accidental insult, here’s what you should not say:

• 「年をとったね！」(Toshi wo totta ne!) – “You got older, huh?” (A great way to lose friends.)
• 「もう◯◯歳？信じられない！」(Mou [age] sai? Shinjirarenai!) – “You’re already [age]? I can’t believe it!” (This can go very wrong.)
• 「そろそろ結婚しないとね。」(Sorosoro kekkon shinai to ne.) – “You should probably get married soon.” (Do you want to get kicked out of the party?)

Moral of the story: Stick to Omedetou and avoid personal life commentary. You’ll thank me later.

🎁 Conclusion: Now Go Impress Some People!

There you have it! You now know exactly how to say Happy Birthday in Japanese—whether you need a casual, polite, or extra festive version. Next time you’re at a birthday party (or scrolling through Instagram stories), drop an お誕生日おめでとう！ and watch the magic happen.

And hey, if you mess up? Just smile, throw in a Happī bāsudē, and pretend you meant to do that. 😎

Got a funny language mishap while learning Japanese? Share it in the comments—I promise we’ll all laugh with you, not at you. 😉