Here is another write up that answers your curiosity about the proper way of saying words in Nihongo. Learning the language sounds pretty hard for some, but I tell you it is not as difficult as you think it is.
If you have been searching for the right words on how to express your heartfelt greeting to your Japanese friends or partner on their birthday, feel free to read through some useful tips that I am going to share.
Otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu!
| Kanji | お誕生日おめでとうございます |
|---|---|
| Hiragana | おたんじょうびおめでとうございます |
This expression is a polite way of greeting someone on his/ her birthday. I heard you, it is quite long to express well wishes to someone but it sure does sounds so sincere with the utmost respect.
Let’s check each vocabulary that we used to form this wishful greeting:
- o (お) – (when added at the beginning) is an honorific polite speech particle
- tanjoubi (たんじょうび) – birthday
- omedetou (おめでとう) – congratulations
- gozaimasu (ございます) – a common expression added to make the sentence even more polite.
Tanjoubi omedetou!
| Kanji | 誕生日おめでとう |
|---|---|
| Hiragana | たんじょうびおめでとう |
Yes, almost the same as the first expression but a bit shorter and informal than the other phrase. If you are greeting someone who is close to you like your friend, family, or loved one, this is the right expression to use!
Omedetou!
| Kanji | none |
|---|---|
| Hiragana | おめでとう! |
Alright, this is the simplest, the shortest, and the most casual way to express your well-wishes to someone close to you on his/her natal day. Please don’t ever use this phrase if you are not so close or really familiar with the person you are offering this greeting.
You don’t want to get the impression of being rude, do you? It is best to use the base of the expression on the proper etiquette like how Japanese people do towards each other.
