Today it's my birthday, so I thought it would be an interesting idea to devote this post to lexis related to birthdays and birthday parties. Let's get started !
The first expression that probably comes to your mind when you want to wish someone a good birthday is the overused "happy birthday !" Who doesn't know the famous song ? Here you have it in case you are the only one on Earth that doesn't know it.
However, there is yet another fascinating expression used (although not quite): "many happy returns". This expression lays emphasis on the to fact that another year has passed since your last birthday and that, happily, it is your birthday again. It is mainly used by Britons and it is difficult to translate into Spanish. Maybe an appropriate translation would be: " que cumplas muchos más y los veamos todos" or "que cumplas muchos más con salud" Here, we want the other person to live happily for one more year (at least he he he he) until their next birthday. It is another way to vary and avoid the repeated construction: "happy birthday."
Other expressions used to wish someone a happy birthday
There are some other phrases that can be used to wish someone a happy birthday:
- Best wishes on your birthday
- I wish you the very best on this special day
- I hope you have a wonderful, healthy birthday
- I hope you have a great time today
- I hope today is the beginning of another wonderful year for you
Birthday vs. date of birth
Some Spaniards have problems to understand the differences between "birthday" (the exact day when you were born), and date of birth (the exact day and year when you were born). Thus, my birthday is on the 15th August, while my birth date is on the fifteenth of August in 1988.
Birthday vs. birthday party
Another recurrent mistake is to use the word "birthday" (the day you were born) instead of birthday party (the celebration of the aforementioned day). In Spanish, we can say: "tengo un cumpleaños hoy" (that is, it is the birthday of one acquaintance of yours). However, in the English language, we would say: "I have a birthday party today" and not
Other birthday songs
One of my favourite songs to congratulate someone for their birthday is "For He (or She) is a Jolly Good Fellow." This is a song that I'm sure you'll find familiar. Here are the lyrics:
For he is a jolly good fellow,
for he is a jolly good fellow,
for he is a jolly good fellow,
and so say all of us,
and so say all of us.
Why don't you listen to it and tell me its title in Spanish ? I'm sure you know this one:
Well, I wish you will have learnt some other formulas and ways to wish somebody a happy birthday. I hope you use them with your English-speaking friends !
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