A1 Expression औपचारिक

생일 축하해요

saengil chukahaeyo

Happy birthday

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The standard, polite way to wish someone a happy birthday in Korean.

  • Means: Congratulations on your birthday.
  • Used in: Birthday parties, social media posts, and cards.
  • Don't confuse: '생일 축하해요' (polite) with '생일 축하해' (casual/intimate).
Cake emoji + Smiling face = Warm birthday wishes

Explanation at your level:

This is the basic way to say Happy Birthday in Korean. It is polite and easy to use with friends and colleagues.
This phrase is a standard polite expression. It uses the '해요' style, which is the most common way to speak to people you are not extremely close with but want to be friendly toward.
As an A1-level expression, it serves as a foundational social tool. Understanding the distinction between '생일' (standard) and '생신' (honorific) is a key step in moving toward B1 proficiency, as it demonstrates an awareness of social hierarchy.
The phrase functions as a performative speech act. In Korean, the choice of verb ending—'해요' vs '합니다' vs '드려요'—is a sociolinguistic marker that signals the speaker's assessment of the social distance and power dynamic between themselves and the recipient.
The phrase is a quintessential example of how Korean grammar encodes social pragmatics. The transition from the base form '축하하다' to the honorific '축하드립니다' illustrates the grammaticalization of respect. Mastery involves not just the phrase, but the ability to navigate the complex honorific system in real-time social contexts.
At the C2 level, one analyzes the phrase as a cultural artifact. It represents the intersection of Confucian hierarchical values and modern egalitarian social interaction. The phrase is not merely a greeting but a negotiation of identity and relationship status, requiring nuanced judgment of the interlocutor's age, social standing, and the specific situational context.

मतलब

A greeting used to congratulate someone on their birthday.

🌍

सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि

Birthdays are often celebrated with seaweed soup (miyeok-guk).

💡

Politeness

Always use '해요' if you are unsure.

मतलब

A greeting used to congratulate someone on their birthday.

💡

Politeness

Always use '해요' if you are unsure.

खुद को परखो

Which is the most polite way to say happy birthday?

Which phrase is correct?

✓ सही! ✗ बिलकुल नहीं। सही जवाब: 생일 축하해요

It uses the polite '해요' ending.

🎉 स्कोर: /1

विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल

1 सवाल

Yes, it is generally polite.

संबंधित मुहावरे

🔗

생신 축하드립니다

specialized form

Happy birthday (honorific)

कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें

🎂

Birthday Party

You: 생일 축하해요!

Friend: 고마워요!

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Sang-il' (Birthday) as 'Singing' a song for someone.

Visual Association

Imagine a birthday cake with candles. You are smiling and saying 'Happy Birthday' to a friend.

Rhyme

Birthday cake, for goodness sake, 생일 축하해요 for your sake.

Story

You walk into a room. Your friend is there. You smile and say '생일 축하해요!' They smile back and hand you a piece of cake.

Word Web

생일축하하다선물케이크파티친구

चैलेंज

Say it to 3 people today.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

¡Feliz cumpleaños!

Korean requires verb conjugation based on hierarchy.

French high

Joyeux anniversaire

French does not change based on social hierarchy.

German moderate

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag

Korean is more concise.

Japanese high

お誕生日おめでとうございます

Japanese has more complex honorific verb forms.

Arabic moderate

عيد ميلاد سعيد

Korean is secular.

Chinese high

生日快乐

Chinese grammar is much simpler.

Korean high

생일 축하해요

N/A

Portuguese high

Feliz aniversário

Portuguese doesn't have honorific levels.

Easily Confused

생일 축하해요 बनाम 생일 축하해

Learners mix up the politeness levels.

Use '해요' for polite, '해' for casual.

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (1)

Yes, it is generally polite.

क्या यह मददगार था?

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