Happy Birthday in Italian: Buon compleanno and More

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The standard way to say “happy birthday” in Italian is buon compleanno!

You can also say tanti auguri!, which is closer to “best wishes”. Both work in a card, a message or face to face. In this guide, I’ll show you how to pronounce them, choose the right level of formality and talk about birthdays in natural Italian.

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How to Say “Birthday” in Italian: compleanno

The Italian word for “birthday” is compleanno. It is a masculine noun: il compleanno means “the birthday”, and i compleanni means “the birthdays”.

The word came into Italian from Spanish cumpleaños. For everyday use, the most helpful thing to remember is that compleanno marks the anniversary of someone’s birth.

How to Say “Happy Birthday” in Italian: buon compleanno

Buon compleanno! is the conventional Italian equivalent of “Happy birthday!” A word-for-word translation with felice is understandable, but buon compleanno is the phrase to learn.

A rough pronunciation guide is bwon kom-pleh-AHN-noh. Put the main stress on -an-, and hold the double n a little longer than a single consonant. The guide is only an approximation: listen to native audio and copy the rhythm as well as the individual sounds.

The same adjective appears in other greetings. For example, Italians say Buon anno! for “Happy New Year!” and Buona Pasqua! for “Happy Easter!” The ending changes because anno is masculine and Pasqua is feminine.

How to Say “Date of Birth” in Italian: data di nascita

Data di nascita means “date of birth”. You will see it on forms that ask for the exact day, month and year when you were born. That is different from compleanno, the anniversary that comes around every year.

How to Wish a Happy Non-Birthday in Italian: buon non compleanno!

For a playful Alice in Wonderland reference, you can wish somebody un buon non compleanno!, “a happy non-birthday”. This is a joke, not a standard greeting.

How to Say “Best Wishes” in Italian: tanti auguri

Tanti auguri! literally means “many good wishes” and naturally works as “best wishes”. A rough pronunciation guide is TAHN-tee ow-GOO-ree.

Unlike buon compleanno, it is not limited to birthdays. Italians exchange auguri for events such as weddings, holidays and anniversaries too, so context supplies the occasion.

• Tanti auguri!: “Best wishes!”
• Auguri!: “Best wishes!” or “Congratulations!”, depending on context
• Auguroni!: an affectionate or emphatic “Warmest wishes!”

How to Say “I Wish You a Happy Birthday” in Italian

The verb augurare means “to wish”. Use these versions according to whom you are addressing:

• Ti auguro un buon compleanno.: “I wish you a happy birthday.” Informal, to one person.
• Le auguro un buon compleanno.: The same wish, formally, to one person.
• Vi auguro un buon compleanno.: To more than one person.
• Ti auguriamo un buon compleanno.: “We wish you a happy birthday.” Informal, to one person.

In the formal singular version, Le is the indirect object meaning “to you”. Courtesy capitals such as Lei, Le and Suo are optional in modern writing, but if you use them, be consistent.

Happy Birthday in Italian: Song Version

The familiar birthday tune is sung in Italian with the line Tanti auguri a te!, meaning “Best wishes to you!” The words fit the same melody as the English-language song.

To add the person’s name, sing tanti auguri a [name] on the name line, then return to tanti auguri a te.

Italian Birthday Traditions

Birthday customs vary by family, region, age and group of friends. Cake, candles, a song and time with friends or relatives will feel familiar to many visitors, but there is no single set of rules for an “Italian birthday”.

Why the 18th Birthday Is a Milestone in Italy

The 18th birthday can be a major milestone because legal adulthood in Italy begins at 18. Some people mark it with a larger party, while others keep it small. The scale is a personal choice, not a national rule.

Tirare le orecchie: Pulling the Birthday Person’s Ears

You may encounter the playful custom of gently pulling the birthday person’s ears, sometimes once for each year. Tirare le orecchie al festeggiato means “to pull the birthday person’s ears”.

This is not universal, and explanations of its origin are uncertain. Treat it as an optional family or friendship custom. Ask first rather than surprising somebody with physical contact.

Who Pays for an Italian Birthday Celebration?

You may hear the informal saying Chi compie, paga. It leaves out gli anni: chi compie [gli anni], paga, roughly “whoever is having the birthday pays”.

That describes one common expectation, not a rule. Today, the birthday person might host, friends might split the bill, or the group might organise a surprise. If an invitation is unclear, ask how the group plans to handle payment before the event.

Birthday Gifts in Italy

A gift or card may be appropriate, depending on your relationship and the kind of celebration. There is no requirement that every guest bring an expensive present. If the host says not to bring anything, take that request seriously instead of treating it as a test.

How to Say “Party” in Italian: festa

Festa means “party” or “celebration”, and festa di compleanno means “birthday party”. Here is a compact set of useful party vocabulary:

• invito di compleanno: birthday invitation
• decorazioni: decorations
• palloncini: balloons
• festoni: garlands or decorative streamers
• coriandoli: confetti
• regalo: present or gift
• pacco regalo: wrapped gift or gift package
• festa a sorpresa: surprise party

How to Say “Birthday Cake” in Italian: torta di compleanno

Torta di compleanno means “birthday cake”. Candele means “candles”, while the diminutive candeline is often used for small birthday candles.

• Spegni le candele!: “Blow out the candles!” Informal, to one person.
• Esprimi un desiderio!: “Make a wish!” Informal, to one person.
• il taglio della torta: the cutting of the cake
• una torta a piani: a tiered cake
• pan di Spagna: sponge cake
• semifreddo: a semi-frozen dessert

The commands above use the informal singular. To address a group, say Spegnete le candele! and Esprimete un desiderio!

The Birthday Person in Italian: festeggiato and festeggiata

Il festeggiato is the male person being celebrated, and la festeggiata is the female person being celebrated. In a birthday context, either can be translated naturally as “the birthday person”. The words are also forms of the past participle festeggiato, “celebrated”.

The Verb “To Celebrate” in Italian: festeggiare

Festeggiare means “to celebrate”. Treccani gives festeggiare un compleanno as a standard use. Fare festa can mean “to celebrate” or “to party”.

Here is the present tense:

• io festeggio: I celebrate
• tu festeggi: you celebrate, informal singular
• lui/lei festeggia: he/she celebrates
• Lei festeggia: you celebrate, formal singular
• noi festeggiamo: we celebrate
• voi festeggiate: you celebrate, plural
• loro festeggiano: they celebrate

How to Write a Birthday Card in Italian

A birthday card is un biglietto di auguri or un biglietto d’auguri. Start with the person’s name, choose a wish that suits your relationship, then sign off as you normally would.

• Tanti auguri di buon compleanno!: “Best wishes for a happy birthday!”
• Cento di questi giorni!: “Many happy returns!” Literally, “A hundred of these days!”
• Sembri più giovane che mai!: “You look younger than ever!” Informal singular.
• Che tutti i tuoi desideri si avverino!: “May all your wishes come true!” Informal singular.
• Ti auguro il meglio, oggi e sempre.: “I wish you the best, today and always.” Informal singular.

Age jokes can land badly, so use them only when you know the person will enjoy them.

How to Text “Happy Birthday” in Italian

You do not need a special abbreviation. Buon compleanno!, Tanti auguri! and Auguroni! are short, clear and natural in a message. Add the person’s name, an emoji or a personal sentence if that suits your relationship.

Birthday Questions in Italian

Italian distinguishes informal singular tu, formal singular Lei and plural voi. The verb and possessive form change with the person you address:

• tu with tuo/tua: one person, informal
• Lei with Suo/Sua: one person, formal
• voi with vostro/vostra: more than one person

These are possessive determiners in the examples below, because they come before a noun such as compleanno or età.

How to Ask “How Old Are You?” in Italian: Quanti anni hai?

• Quanti anni hai?: “How old are you?” Informal singular.
• Quanti anni ha?: Formal singular.
• Quanti anni avete?: Plural.
• Ho trent’anni.: “I am 30 years old.” Literally, “I have 30 years.”

Age can be personal. A formal verb does not automatically make the question welcome, so consider your relationship and the context before asking.

If you need the numbers, this Fi3M lesson explains how to build them from 0 to 100 and avoid the common spelling traps:

You can also use the phrase Non dimostri la tua età, “You don’t look your age”, with one person informally. The formal singular is Non dimostra la Sua età, and the plural is Non dimostrate la vostra età. This is not always a compliment, so use it only when you know it will be appreciated.

How to Ask “When Is Your Birthday?” in Italian: Quand’è il tuo compleanno?

• Quand’è il tuo compleanno?: Informal singular.
• Quand’è il Suo compleanno?: Formal singular.
• Quand’è il vostro compleanno?: Plural.
• Il mio compleanno è il 14 luglio.: “My birthday is 14 July.”

Italian month names are normally lowercase. Review all twelve in this guide to the months in Italian.

How to Ask “What Do You Want to Do for Your Birthday?” in Italian

• Che cosa vuoi fare per il tuo compleanno?: Informal singular.
• Che cosa vuole fare per il Suo compleanno?: Formal singular.
• Che cosa volete fare per il vostro compleanno?: Plural.

You might answer Stare in famiglia (“Spend time with my family”), Fare qualcosa con gli amici (“Do something with friends”), Andare in gita (“Go on a day trip”) or Organizzare una festa (“Organise a party”).

How to Ask “How Was Your Birthday?” in Italian

A natural question is Com’è andato il tuo compleanno?, “How did your birthday go?” The formal singular version is Com’è andato il Suo compleanno? You can also ask Come hai festeggiato?, “How did you celebrate?”

• È andato benissimo.: “It went really well.”
• È stato fantastico.: “It was fantastic.”
• È stato tranquillo.: “It was quiet/relaxed.”
• Non è stato un granché.: “It wasn’t great.”

Celebrate Birthdays in Italian

For your next Italian birthday message, keep it simple: choose buon compleanno or tanti auguri, add one personal sentence and check whether tu or formal Lei fits the relationship.

Once you have practised these phrases, learn how to say happy birthday in more languages.