How to Say Happy Birthday in Greek
If you’re studying Greek, one of the first things you should learn is
to wish happy birthday in Greek!
For sure, you will come across many situations (such as birthday parties) where you‘ll want to wish someone a happy birthday!
In this article I’ll show you the best ways to say happy birthday in Greek.
Be sure to watch the video to the end, as we’ll also discuss
some cultural differences that are important to take into account
when it comes to Greek birthdays.
And of course I’ll show you the Greek birthday song!
Let’s get started!
Common Ways To Say Happy Birthday In Greek
First things first, let’s start with the basics.
Χρόνια πολλά! (hronia pola!)
Χρόνια πολλά
literally means “many years” and it’s a way to say Happy Birthday.
With this wish you wish someone to live many years, to live long.
Πολύχρονος! (polihronos!)
Πολύχρονος
is another wish you can say in someone’s birthday.
In English we could translate it as Happy Birthday.
It literally means “many years” from the words πολύ (=much, many, a lot) and the word χρόνος (=year).
With this word, you wish someone to live many years, to live long.
Να τα εκατοστίσεις! (na ta ekatostisis!)
Να τα εκατοστίσεις
is also a birthday wish you can use to mean Happy Birthday.
Literally you wish someone to live many years, to live long (again!)
All these 3 wishes
(Χρόνια Πολλά, Πολύχρονος, Να τα εκατοστίσεις)
have actually the same meaning.
Να τα εκατοστίσεις has the word εκατό (which means 100) inside so you actually wish someone to live long enough to reach the age of 100.
More Ways To Wish A Happy Birthday In Greek
Let’s see some more birthday wishes …
Ό,τι επιθυμείς! (oti epithimis!)
Ό,τι επιθυμείς!
literally means (have) whatever you desire! and it’s a wish you can add to the basic ones.
Να τα εκατοστίσεις! Υγεία και ευτυχία σου εύχομαι! Na ta ekatostisis! Iyia ke eftihia su efhome!
This wish literally means Happy birthday! I wish you health and happiness! (to be healthy and happy) in other words.
Να τον /την χαίρεστε! Na ton / tin hereste!
This wish means…
be happy and proud about him or her!
It’s a wish said to the parents and it’s in formal way of talking.
Να τον / την χαίρεσαι! Na ton / tin herese!
This wish means…
be happy and proud about him or her!
It’s a wish said to the relatives and it’s in an informal way of talking.
DID YOU KNOW…?
When you wish someone for his/her birthday, you don’t have to pick only one of these wishes.
If you want, you can have a combination!
For example
– Γεια σου, Κώστα! Χρόνια Πολλά! Πολύχρονος!
Ό,τι επιθυμείς! Να είσαι πάντα γερός και χαμογελαστός!
Yia su, Kosta! Hronia Pola! Polihronos!
Oti epithimis! Na ise panda yeros ke hamoyelastos!
Attention!
If you’re invited to a birthday party at a bar or a restaurant,
you never pay for the bill.
Guests never pay for the person who has a birthday.
Actually that would be very disrespectful for him or her.
You are his/her birthday guest, he/she will pay for everything to please you and will make sure that you’re having fun and you have everything you need.
Instead of paying for the bill, you can bring a birthday gift, like a book, clothes, jewelry or anything else you want.
the Greek Birthday Song
The Greek birthday song has a different melody than English.
It has some special sophisticated lyrics 😊
Here’s how it goes…
Να ζήσεις Βασίλη
και Χρόνια Πολλά!
Μεγάλος να γίνεις
με άσπρα μαλλιά.
Παντού να σκορπίζεις
της γνώσης το φως.
Και όλοι να λένε
να ένας σοφός!
Na zisis Vasili
ke Hronia Pola!
Meghalos na yinis
me aspra malia.
Pandu na skorpizis
tis ynosis to fos.
Ke oli na lene
na enas sofos!
And here’s what it means…
(I wish you) To live (long) Vasili and “Happy Birthday”!
(I wish you) To become old with white hair
(I wish you) Everywhere to spread the light of knowledge
And everyone to say there is a wise man!
Congratulations!
Now you know a lot of different ways to wish a happy birthday to someone in Greek.
You can even sing the Greek birthday song with the other Greek guests!
Start writing nice birthday messages in Greek and you’ll definitely impress your birthday Greek friend and make him or her really happy!
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading!
Until next time, keep exploring, keep learning.
Τα λέμε,
Θανάσης
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