How to say "birthday" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe English loanword, with a light Western flavor. It turns up especially in greetings and festive or commercial language; for plain reference to the day someone was born, 誕生日 is the usual choice.
- 誕生日たんじょうびnounThe neutral, all-purpose word for the day of a person's birth, whether naming the date or talking about celebrating it; it suits any setting and is the safe default when unsure.
- お誕生日おたんじょうびnounThe polite form of 誕生日, marked by the prefix お. It adds a courteous, warm tone and is typically used of someone else's birthday, as when asking about it or offering congratulations.
All three mean the day of a person's birth: 誕生日 is the neutral everyday choice, 「お誕生日」 adds politeness when speaking of someone else's, and 「バースデー」 is the Western-flavored loanword for festive or stylish use.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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