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Wishes & celebrations

How to Say “Happy Birthday” in Turkish

The usual way to say “Happy birthday” in Turkish is Doğum günün kutlu olsun. It is informal: for friends, family and people your own age. Below are 4 alternatives (formal, neutral), how to reply, an example dialogue and the grammar behind it.

In Turkish

Doğum günün kutlu olsun

Literally
“may your birthday be celebrated”
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Informalfor friends, family and people your own age

How Doğum günün kutlu olsun is built

  1. doğumbirth
  2. gün-ünyour day (compound ending replaced by “your”)
  3. kutlucelebrated, happy
  4. olsunmay it be
Grammar guideTurkish Compound Nouns (İsim Tamlamaları): Definite, Indefinite and Material Compounds →Grammar guideTurkish Possessive Suffixes (İyelik Ekleri) & Noun Compounds →Grammar guideTurkish Imperative & Optative Moods: Commands, Invitations (Gidelim, Yapalım) →Conjugate the verbolmak (to be, to become) →

Other ways to say “Happy birthday”

  • Doğum gününüz kutlu olsunFormal

    “happy birthday (polite)”

    To colleagues or elders.

  • İyi ki doğdunInformal

    “good that you were born”

    Very common; also the birthday song.

  • Nice mutlu yıllaraNeutral

    “to many happy years”

    “Many happy returns”.

  • Mutlu yıllarNeutral

    “happy years”

    Sung at birthdays, though mainly a New Year wish.

How to reply

  • Çok teşekkür ederim!

    Thank you so much!

  • Sağ ol, canım!

    Thanks, dear!

Example dialogue

  1. A

    İyi ki doğdun! Doğum günün kutlu olsun!

    Happy birthday! I’m so glad you were born!

  2. B

    Çok teşekkürler, çok naziksin!

    Thanks so much, that’s so kind of you!

Related phrases

All phrases →
CongratulationsTebriklerNeutralHappy New YearMutlu yıllarNeutralToday is my birthdayBugün benim doğum günümNeutralThank youTeşekkür ederimNeutralHappy Mother’s DayAnneler Günün kutlu olsunInformal

More wishes & celebrations

Go deeper

GuideTurkish Holiday Greetings and Condolences: Bayram, Ramazan, Kandil, Birthdays and More

“Happy birthday” in Turkish: FAQ

How do you say “Happy birthday” in Turkish?

The most common way is Doğum günün kutlu olsun (literally “may your birthday be celebrated”), which is informal: for friends, family and people your own age. You will also hear Doğum gününüz kutlu olsun (“happy birthday (polite)”): to colleagues or elders.

How do you reply to Doğum günün kutlu olsun?

Typical replies are Çok teşekkür ederim! (“Thank you so much!”) and Sağ ol, canım! (“Thanks, dear!”).

What does each part of Doğum günün kutlu olsun mean?

doğum = birth; gün-ün = your day (compound ending replaced by “your”); kutlu = celebrated, happy; olsun = may it be. İyi ki doğdun (“how good that you were born”) is the warmest wish and the line of the birthday song.

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