Anyone who has ever asked their German friends, teachers or relatives for the correct way to wish someone on their birthday in German will have been confronted with a real tongue twister – and a long one too!
But despair not, wishing happy birthday in German is not as complicated as it sounds. Here are the main sayings, wishes and songs with translation and pronunciation guide.
Alles Gute versus Herzlichen Glückwunsch – Best Wishes in German
When congratulating someone in German, one has two options: expressing either heartfelt or best wishes. Though both phrases are common, the first one is a bit more complicated yet used more often; pronunciation efforts and frequent practice will pay off:
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag - Happy Birthday; literally: heartfelt congratulations on [your] birthday – [hehahtsleechan glukhwoonsh tsoom gebooatstahk]
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag – best wishes/all the best on your birthday [allehz gootah…]
Written Birthday Phrases and Belated Birthdays
Birthday wishes are one of the most popular German greetings. When writing someone an email, letter or card on his or her birthday, one would extend heartfelt and best wishes through the following standard phrase:
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag und alles Gute – happy birthday and all the best [... oont allehz gootah]
When extending belated birthday wishes, note that the birthday part in German is implied; one offers congratulations belatedly:
Herzlichen Glückwunsch nachträglich – belated happy birthday [nahkhtrakleech]
Herzlichen Glückwunsch is the general phrase when extending congratulations for any occasion; it will be followed by the actual occasion:
- … zum Geburtstag – on your birthday
- … zur Hochzeit – on your wedding day [tsoor hokhtsyt]
- … zum Jubiläum – on your anniversary [tsoom yoobeelahum]
- ... zum bestandenen Abschluss – on your graduation [tsoom behshtandahnun apshlooz]
The “Happy Birthday” Song in German
The following lyrics are usually sung in Germany to the tune of “Happy Birthday.” Note that the German version does not require inserting the name of the felicitated but is more a general expression of birthday wishes. Especially in recent years though, it has become more common to sing “Happy Birthday” in English. Here’s the German birthday song with translation:
- Zum Geburtstag viel Glück - best of luck on your birthday
- Zum Geburtstag viel Glück
- Zum Geburtstag alles Gute - all the best on your birthday
- Zum Geburtstag viel Glück
German Birthday Songs – „Hoch Soll Er Leben“ Lyrics
Another popular tune is „Hoch soll er leben,“ a song felicitating someone not only at a birthday – it would also be appropriate at a graduation, employment anniversary or similar occasion. Note that “er” is the male pronoun and should be replaced with “sie” when singing for a girl or woman. In case of two or more felicitated persons, the verb ending changes, making the first line “Hoch soll’n sie leben” with soll’n short for sollen.
- Hoch soll er leben – he shall be celebrated
- Hoch soll er leben – he shall be celebrated
- Dreimal hoch – three times cheers
Wishing happy birthday in German correctly may be a bit cumbersome at first and require a good amount of practice but efforts will pay off in the end. For those wondering about an equivalent for “many happy returns of the day” – there is none, at least not a literal translation.
Readers interested in learning German phrases for other occasions should visit the following articles: German Language Phrases for Beginners, How to Pronounce German Last Names or How to Pronounce German Vowels.
Simone Preuss - Simone is a freelance writer, editor and translator who decided to go solo after a successful career in publishing. That was more than ...
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