How to Say (And Sing!) “Happy Birthday” in Korean

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Plus, explore unique Korean birthday celebration traditions

Co-authored by Grace Sooda and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: February 10, 2026 Fact Checked

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“Happy Birthday” Phrases

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Singing “Happy Birthday”

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Korean Birthday Traditions

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More Korean Tutorials

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Birthdays are celebrated in one way or another all across the globe, and it’s no different in Korean culture! In this article, we’ll show you all the ways to say “happy birthday” in Korean with tips from language teacher Claire Wang, and even how to sing the “happy birthday” song! Plus, we’ll explore some unique Korean birthday traditions to fully immerse you in the festivities.

Quick Guide: “Happy Birthday” in Korean

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An illustration showing the most common ways to say “happy birthday” in Korean with their English translations.

The polite, standard way to say wish someone a happy birthday in Korean is “Saengil chukahamnida” (생일 축하합니다). However, use the formal expression “Saengsineul chukadeurimnida” (생신을 축하드립니다) when speaking to elders, or the much more casual “Saengil chukahae” (생일 축하해 ) for close friends and family or younger people.^{[1]
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Section 1 of 4:

Korean Phrases for “Happy Birthday”

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Formal: 생신을 축하드립니다 (saengsineul chukadeurimnida) If you’re speaking to somebody older than you (like a parent or grandparent, teacher, or anyone else who’s your elder), use the formal, honorific word for birthday, “saengsineul” (sang-shin-ool). It’s followed by the verb “chukadeurimnida” (choo-kah-deu-rim-nee-dah), which is a combination of “chukahada” (“to celebrate” or “to congratulate”) and “deurida” (the formal version of “to give”).^{[2]
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- In English, this translates literally to something like “Congratulations on your birthday” or “birthday congratulations.”
- Practice tip: Listen to native speakers to pick up the right pronunciation, and don’t get discouraged if it takes some practice. Wang says, “Korean has a lot of sounds that are in between what we have in English. When I was learning Korean, I constantly tried to copy the teacher, but still got corrected a lot. It can be frustrating,” at first.^{[3]
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  Claire Wang
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Claire Wang is a language education specialist with over a decade of international teaching experience in Taiwan, Canada, and the UK. She is the founder of LingoClass, London’s leading school for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
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Polite or standard: 생일 축하합니다 (saengil chukahamnida) This phrase is considered a polite way to wish people a happy birthday on most occasions and often appears on birthday cards. For example, you might use this when speaking to superiors at work, mixed groups, or acquaintances. “Saengil” (sang-eel) is the Korean word for birthday (unless you’re speaking to an elder), and “chukahamnida” is a verb meaning “to congratulate.”^{[4]
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- Alternative: For a slightly less formal (but still very polite and acceptable) way to say happy birthday, use “saengil chukahaeyo” (생일 축하해요). “Chukahaeyo” (choo-kah-heh-yo) is suitable for most people and is a little more laid back than “chukahamnida.”^{[5]
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  Grace Sooda
  Korean Language and Culture Educator
  
  Expert Interview}
EXPERT TIP

Claire Wang
Language Teacher
Claire Wang is a London-based language education expert and the Founder of LingoClass, the city’s leading school for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Since founding LingoClass in 2018, she has helped hundreds of students develop a deep passion for Asian languages and cultures through her engaging, student-centered approach. With over a decade of international teaching experience in Taiwan, Canada, and the UK, Claire specializes in the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, which emphasizes real-world interaction and meaningful communication. Her classes are known for being dynamic, practical, and deeply culturally immersive. Claire holds a postgraduate degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from SOAS University of London. In addition to leading LingoClass, she is also a Senior Lecturer in Chinese Language, Arts and Culture at the University of the Arts London, where she integrates language learning with broader cultural and artistic perspectives.

Claire Wang
Language Teacher

In Korean, you speak differently depending on the other person's age. If someone is just one year older than you, you have to use polite or formal speech. But if you're the same age, then you can speak casually. And if you're older than the other person, they must speak formally to you, but you can speak casually to them.

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Informal or casual: 생일 축하해 (saengil chukahae) This version of “happy birthday” is perfect for close friends, young children, spouses, siblings, or anyone you’re very close to or familiar with.^{[6]
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Grace Sooda
Korean Language and Culture Educator

Expert Interview} The verb “chukahae” (choo-kah-heh) is an informal version of “chukahaeyo” (the final “yo” is dropped).^{[7]
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- What if you don’t know someone’s age? Just ask! According to Wang, “In Korean culture, it’s very common to ask each other’s age right away. It’s not considered rude. When people meet, they ask, ‘How old are you?’ so they know what kind of language to use. It’s almost like how we ask, ‘What’s your name?’ It’s that important.”^{[8]
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  Claire Wang
  Language Teacher
  
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Section 2 of 4:

Singing the Happy Birthday Song in Korean

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Use the traditional “Happy Birthday” tune from English, but swap in Korean! The “Happy Birthday” song and lyrics work very similarly in Korean as they do in English. Use the standard Korean phrase “saengil chukahamnida” in place of “happy birthday to you” in the first, second, and fourth lines of the song, and add the person’s name to the third line with “saranghaneun [name] shi” (사랑하는 [name] 씨 or “Happy birthday dear [name]”).^{[9]
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Research source} Altogether, it goes like this:
- Saengil chukahamnida
  Saengil chukahamnida
  Saranghaneun [name] shi
  Saengil chukahamnida
- Check out this YouTube short by @Jeffkimieee to hear the lyrics with the melody!
- Tip: The word “shi” (씨) is an honorific that goes after a first name to show politeness or respect, and doesn’t always have to be used if you’re close with the birthday person.

Section 3 of 4:

Korean Birthday Traditions

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Koreans celebrate birthdays on their birth date, but don’t “age” until the New Year. Like in many countries, Koreans celebrate their birthday on the day they were born each year with cake and parties. But, you don’t actually turn another year older until New Year’s! In this tradition, everyone turns one year older together. Even if you were just born the day before the New Year, you would still culturally be considered 1 year old after the holiday passes.^{[10]
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Many Koreans eat a seaweed soup called miyeokguk on their birthday. Miyeokguk (미역국) is a traditional seaweed soup that honors mothers and the act of birth. In Korean mythology, the soup was dedicated to the goddesses of childbirth and destiny, who blessed newborns and provided safe deliveries. Eating the soup on your birthday is a way to honor your mother and remember the cycle of life.^{[11]
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A baby’s first birthday is a very special occasion in Korean culture. Before modern healthcare, infant mortality rates were very high in Korea, and making it to 1 year old was considered a major milestone worth celebrating. This special celebration is called doljanchi (돌잔치) and features lots of fun and unique rituals and traditions:^{[12]
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- A beautifully decorated table called a dolsang (돌상) is set up with ceremonial linens, candles, vases, bowls, flowers, golden plates, fruit, and other ceremonial items and foods meant to wish the baby a long life, health, and prosperity.
- A fortune-telling game called doljabi (돌잡이) is played, where the parents arrange symbolic items like books, money, or threads for the baby to pick up. Whichever item they choose first predicts the type of person they’ll be.
- Gifts are a big component of a doljanchi. Traditionally, jewelry made of pure gold was given to the baby, although modern gifts like toys, clothes, and cash are also given.
- The baby (and often the parents) wears traditional Korean clothing called hanbok (한복) for the celebration.
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Turning 60, 70, and 100 are considered milestone birthdays as well. Historically, reaching 60 years old was considered an achievement due to low life expectancy. It’s also symbolically seen as a time of rebirth or the start of a new phase of life, and a 60th birthday celebration (gabae or 환갑) is celebrated with gifts, blessings and prayers, and a large meal.^{[13]
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- Similarly, a 70th birthday (cheonguk or 칠순) honors the wisdom and experience you’ve accumulated throughout your life. The celebration is similar to a 60th birthday, but is usually more intimate.
- A baegil (백일) or 100th birthday is a rare and highly celebrated milestone. A festive meal and celebration are planned with extended family, friends, and sometimes community members.