Belated birthday wishes for a friend
• Happy Little-Bit-Late Birthday! Sorry I forgot, but I wanted to send you belated birthday wishes all the same!
• Wishing you a belated happy birthday, pal! Sorry I missed the big day, but thought I’d extend your birthday a little longer.
• A belated happy birthday to you. May all the good things that life has to offer always find their way to your doorstep (hopefully quicker than this card!)
• Despite my wishes being a little late, you know they are straight from the bottom of my heart. I wish you success in all your endeavors. Happy belated birthday, my friend.
• It’s never too late to wish a wonderful friend like you happy birthday. May your life be full of peace, joy, happiness and success. Happy belated birthday friend.
Belated birthday wishes for your cousin
• Good things come to those who wait! Happy belated birthday Cousin!
• We all know that birthdays are special, but someone like you is special everyday! Happy belated birthday Cousin!
• I didn’t forget your birthday, I just wanted to prolong the celebration! Happy happy birthday cuz!
• In another part of the world it’s custom to send birthday wishes the day after someone’s birthday. I don’t know where, but I’m there! Happy belated birthday to my favourite cousin.
• I know it seems like I forgot your birthday, but actually I was just waiting for a quiet moment to tell you how special you are. Happy belated birthday cousin!
• Wishing my dear cousin a happy belated birthday! You will always be more like a sibling to me. Sending lots of love to you.
• Sorry this card is a bit late. I remembered your birthday, just not the date! Happy belated birthday cousin!
Belated birthday wishes for your niece
• Even though this is late, it’s never too late to wish you the best of everything! Happy birthday niece!
• Your birthday came, and then it went. Here’s the message I should have sent. Belated happy birthday my beautiful niece! Sorry this message is late, but I thought I’d include a small poem to make it up to you.
• May you always be as wise as the old oaks, as graceful as the falling leaves and more punctual than this birthday card. Happy birthday my dear niece. Sorry for the late wishes!
• Since you were born I’ve been wishing you only the best. It’s been a pleasure to watch you grow into the incredible woman you are today, and I am so sorry to have missed this momentous occasion. Sending you much love and the heartiest belated birthday wishes.
• You are an absolute joy in our lives and not a day goes past that I don’t think of you. Sorry to have missed your birthday, but I celebrate the woman you have become every day! Happy belated birthday niece!
Belated birthday wishes for your aunt
• This wish is late so that you can celebrate longer! Happy belated birthday aunt!
• To my favourite Auntie, happy happy belated birthday! I’m so sorry that I missed the special day, but, to me, you are special every day!
• Thank you for always being like a second mother to me. I appreciate all you do and wish you only the best for the next chapter in your life! Apologies for the belated birthday wishes!
• I’m so sorry I forgot your birthday, but how do you expect me to remember when you don’t look any older! Belated happy birthday to my beautiful aunt!
• Now that everyone else’s wishes have worn off, you can have a great big one from me! Happy belated birthday sweet Aunty!
• I’m so incredibly sorry for missing your special day Auntie! Please forgive me and accept my sincerest wishes in celebration of your birthday. I know that you will succeed in all that you set out to achieve.
Belated birthday wishes for your uncle
• The world is made up of two types of people. Meticulously punctual types and the awesome fun people like me who don’t own calendars. Happy belated birthday uncle!
• Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about you. Apparently very ‘lately’! Happy belated birthday uncle! Sorry I missed it! Will be sure to catch the next one. Wishing you all the best.
• Sorry I missed the beginning of this new chapter, glad to see that it's off to a roaring start! Happy happy belated birthday to you, Uncle!
• Sorry for the belated wishes but today, I’ll raise a toast to you and hope you enjoy all the finer things in life. You’ll always be the coolest uncle around. Happy belated birthday uncle!
Belated birthday wishes for your dog
• In my eyes, every day with you is worth celebrating! Sorry I missed your birthday my special pooch.
• Happy belated birthday dog! Sorry for the late wishes, but the treats will make up for it I’m sure.
• Thanks for being happy to see me when I come home, even when I miss your birthday! Happy belated birthday dog friend!
• Even though you had no idea, I feel terrible for missing your birthday! Happy belated birthday dog. Wishing you a happy future filled with walks, tennis balls and treats! Thanks for being my best friend.
• Sorry I missed your birthday, bud. It was the cat’s fault! Your belated birthday wishes come complete with a fancy cooked dinner and your favourite back rub. All the best for the dog years head!
Belated happy birthday in French
The French express their belated birthday wishes by saying ‘Joyeux anniversaire avec un peu de retard’.
Belated happy birthday in Spanish
In Spanish, they say ‘Feliz cumpleaños atrasado!’.
Belated happy birthday in Chinese
The way to wish someone a belated happy birthday in Chinese is ‘请接受我迟到的生日祝福’.
Belated happy birthday in Italian
In Italian, to wish someone a belated birthday you say ‘Auguri in ritardo’.
If you’ve missed a loved one's birthday don’t fret! These things happen and now you’ve got some ideas of how to make it up to them. Just remember that it really is the thought that counts. Even if it’s a little late.
Best birthday wishes for a best friend
Happy Birthday, bestie! Have a day as amazing as you are!
Wishing you the best birthday ever! You’re only as old as you feel and when we’re together we act like a couple of teenagers, so let’s keep that feeling going! Love you!
You’re the best friend I could have hoped for. I wanted to take the opportunity to say that on your special day, and I hope that we celebrate many more together. Happy birthday love!
Funny happy birthday wishes for a friend
They say old is gold, if that’s true, then you are my 24 karat partner in crime and I hope you continue to be for many years to come! Happy birthday!
"Growing old gracefully" – now there’s a phrase that doesn’t apply to either of us! Let’s party until we drop and grow old disgracefully together forever!
I will still love you when you are old and wrinkly and smell like cough drops, because that’s what best friends are for, after all. Happy birthday!
Sending you birthday love! They say age is just a number, and it’s true… just that in your case it’s a very big number!
I was going to post some embarrassing old photos of you online for your birthday, until I realized you must have an equal amount of mortifying pics of me stored away somewhere… Let’s agree to hold those only for blackmail purposes, 😛 Happy Birthday bestie!
Sentimental birthday wishes for a best friend
You’ve been there with me through thick and thin, good and bad, always by my side with a kind word or helpful advice. Thank you so much for everything, you’re truly the best friend I could hope for and I wish you nothing but the best on your special day. Happy birthday!
In some ways it feels like no time has passed since we first met all those years ago, but then I look at the photos and think OMG – we were just babies! It’s been such a joy having you in my life and I feel so lucky to be able to call you my best friend. Happy Birthday love!
Who would have thought, all those years ago when we first met, that we would be here now, still laughing, joking, crying and dancing together like teenagers? I’m so happy we met, you’ve lit up my life since you came into it and I hope you know how much I appreciate having a best friend like you. Wishing you the happiest birthday!
There’s no day more perfect to let you know how much you mean to me. Your friendship is the greatest gift I ever could have wished for, and I want you to have the most wonderful birthday. I love you so much!
You are an absolute star and have brightened my life since the moment we met. Wishing you a day filled with wonder, as beautiful as you are. Happy birthday to my best friend.
Birthday quotes for a friend
“The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” – Hubert H Humphrey
“Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.” – Ausonius
“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.” – William Shakespeare
‘If life gives you lemons you should make lemonade… and try to find someone whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.’ – Ron White
“A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age.” – Robert Frost
‘The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.’ – Jean-Paul Sartre
Happy birthday from us to your bezzie!
So there you have it, a list of birthday wishes for the best friend in your life. Hopefully you found something you can use to brighten up their day and make it extra special 🙂
Chances are you’re here because you want to wish a friend a happy birthday in Italian in a way that your message will be well received.
In Italy, we love to celebrate special occasions and anniversaries, so learning how to say happy birthday is essential if you want to have a great social life.compiere in Italian, and, of course, sing the Happy birthday song in Italian, a must for every party.
And, if that’s not enough, we’re also going to learn about some Italian birthday traditions and FAQs.
Let’s get started!
How to say "Happy Birthday!" in Italian
There are two main ways of wishing someone a happy birthday in Italian:
• Buon compleanno!
This literally translates as "good birthday" and it can be used on its own or in combination with:
• Tanti auguri!
which means many wishes. You could say, for example:
• Tanti auguri di buon compleanno!
Many wishes for a good birthday!
Of course, there are many variants of these phrases too. Let’s see some of them.
English
Italian
Italian pronunciation
Happy birthday!
Buon compleanno!
Boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh!
Happy birthday!
Tanti auguri!
Tahn-tee ah-oo-gooh-ree!
Belated happy birthday!
Auguri in ritardo!
Ah-oo-gooh-ree een ree-tar-doh
Thanks for being born!
Grazie di esistere!
Grah-tsee-eh dee eh-zee-steh-reh!
Happy birthday my love.
Buon compleanno, amore mio.
Boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh, ah-moh-reh mee-oh
Happy birthday, brother/sister/mom/dad.
Buon compleanno, fratello/sorella/mamma/papà.
Boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh, frah-tell-oh/soh-rell-ah/mahm-mah/pah-pàh
Happy birthday grandma/grandpa.
Buon compleanno, nonna/nonno.
Boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh, john-nah/nohn-noh
One hundred more of these days!
Cento di questi giorni!
Chen-toh dee kwess-tee jor-nee
Wishing you a very happy birthday!
Tanti auguri di buon compleanno!
Tahn-tee ah-oo-gooh-ree dee boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh
Happy birthday my friend.
Buon compleanno amico/a mio/a.
Boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh, ah-mee-koh/ah-mee-kah mee-oh/mee-ah
Best birthday wishes to you!
I migliori auguri di buon compleanno!
Ee mee-llyoh-ree ah-oo-goo-ree dee com-pleh-ann-noh
Happy birthday beautiful!
Buon compleanno, bello/a!
Boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh, bell-oh/bell-ah!
Happy 21st/ 30th/40th/50th etc. birthday
Buon 21esimo/30esimo compleanno
Boo-on vehn-too-neh-zee-moh com-pleh-ann-noh
Hope all your wishes come true!
Spero che tutti i tuoi desideri si avverino!
Speh-roh keh too-tee ee too-oh-ee deh-zee-deh-ree see ah-veh-ree-noh
I wish you a happy birthday!
Ti auguro un buon compleanno!
Tee ah-oo-goo-roh oon boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh
Happy birthday, have a good one!
Buon compleanno, divertiti!
Boo-on com-pleh-ann-noh, dee-verr-tee-tee
Auguri is translated as "wishes" and it can be used for other special occasions, too.
• Auguri di Buon Natale
Merry Christmas
• Auguri di Buon Anno
Happy New Year
• Auguri per la festa del papà
Happy Father's Day
"When is your birthday?" and the verb compiere in Italian
If you’re talking about birthdays, it’s good to know the verb compiere (com-pyeh-reh) in Italian, which means "to turn" (referred to years).
Here’s the conjugation of compiere:
• Io compio (com-pyoh)
• Tu compi (com-peeh)
• Lui/lei compie (com-pyeh)
• Noi compiamo (com-pyah-moh)
• Voi compiete (com-pyeh-te)
• Loro compiono (com-pyoh-noh)
When you ask someone when their birthday is in Italian, you need to use this verb:
• Quando compi gli anni?
(When is your birthday? - Lit. "When do you turn years?")
• Compio gli anni il 24 giugno.
(It is on the 24th of June. - Lit. "I turn years on the 24th of June.)
Here are some more useful expressions that you can learn to ask and talk about birthdays:
English
Italian
Italian pronunciation
When is your birthday?
Quand’è il tuo compleanno?
Kwan-dèh eel too-oh com-pleh-ann-noh
My birthday is…
Il mio compleanno è il …
Eel mee-oh com-pleh-ann-noh èh
How old do you turn?
Quanti anni compi?
Kwan-tee ahn-nee com-pee?
I turn…
Ne compio…
Neh com-pee-oh…
How old are you?
Quanti anni hai?
Kwan-tee ann-nee ah-ee?
I am…
Ho … anni.
Oh … ann-nee
What year were you born?
Di che anno sei?
Dee keh ann-noh seh-ee
I was born in…
Sono del…
Soh-noh dell…
You don’t show them!
Non li dimostri!
Non lee dee-most-ree
You carry them well!
Li porti bene!
Lee por-tee beh-neh
You look younger!
Sembri più giovane!
Sem-bree pee-ooh joh-vah-neh
What would you like for your birthday?
Cosa vuoi per il tuo compleanno?
Coh-sah voo-oh-ee per eel too-oh com-pleh-ann-noh
The birthday boy/girl
Il festeggiato / la festeggiata
Eel fess-teh-jah-toh
The present
Il regalo
Eel reh-gah-loh
The cake
La torta
Lah torr-tah
The candles
Le candeline
Leh can-deh-lee-neh
To blow the candles
Spegnere le candeline
Spe-nyeh-re leh can-deh-lee-neh
To make a wish
Esprimere un desiderio
Ess-pree-meh-reh oon deh-zee-deh-ree-oh
To make a toast
Fare un brindisi
Fah-reh oon breen-dee-zee
Birthday party
Festa di compleanno
Fess-tah dee com-pleh-ann-noh
Surprise party
Festa a sorpresa
Fess-tah ah sor-preh-zah
To celebrate a birthday
Festeggiare il compleanno
Fess-teh-jah-reh eel com-pleh-ann-noh
To wish a happy birthday
Fare gli auguri di compleanno
Fah-reh lly ah-oo-goo-ree dee com-pleh-ann-noh
To pull the ears
Tirare le orecchie*
Tee-rah-reh leh oh-rek-kyeh
*more on this in the "Italian birthday traditions" section
Happy birthday in Italian song with lyrics
What kind of birthday would it be if you don’t sing a birthday song for the festeggiato?
In Italian, the classic birthday song "happy birthday to you" uses the expression "tanti auguri a te", and not "buon compleanno"!
It goes like this:
Tanti auguri a te,
Tanti auguri a te,
Tanti auguri (name)
Tanti auguri a te!
Tanti Auguri
This isn’t a specific birthday song; in fact, it is often sung at graduations or other parties, but if you find yourself at a birthday party, it might well come up, and if you know it, sing along!
Happy birthday in Italian lyrics goes like this:
Perché è un bravo ragazzo, (For he’s a jolly good fellow x3)
Perché è un bravo ragazzo,
Perché è un bravo ragazzo….
Nessuno lo può negar! (Which nobody can deny!)
How to write a happy birthday card message in Italian
On a birthday card in Italian you can let your creativity loose. You can keep things simple and just say "auguri", or you can praise the person’s qualities and virtues before wishing them a good life with the super classic: cento di questi giorni. (A hundred of these days.)
If you want to wish someone something, you can use the expression ti auguro… which literally means "I wish for you…/ I hope"
• Ti auguro di raggiungere tutti i tuoi obiettivi!
I hope you can reach all your objectives!
• Ti auguro tanto amore e felicità!
I wish you a lot of love and happiness.
At the end of the card, you can repeat Buon compleanno! and send them a hug (un abbraccio), a kiss (un bacio) or love (con amore).
Italian birthday traditions
Here are some traditions of an Italian compleanno. Some might be common in other countries, but others are a bit more unique!
• Non fare gli auguri in anticipo
Don’t say happy birthday in advance! This might sound strange, but Italians find it is bad luck to tell someone happy birthday in advance. It is better to be late than early in this case!
• La torta di compleanno
Of course, there is no birthday without a cake! In Italy, it is usually the festeggiato/a who picks it or makes it
• Spegnere le candeline
When the cake is served, of course, all the lights will go off and the candles lit. The birthday boy or girl will have to blow them and…
• Esprimere un desiderio
At the moment you blow out the candles, remember to think about your birthday wish (but don’t say it out loud!)
• Tirare le orecchie
This is probably the weirdest Italian birthday tradition… We pull the festeggiato/a’s earlobes as many times as the age they’re turning, sometimes counting out loud, and with various degrees of pain, based on your relationship to the guest of honor!
• Offrire da bere / da mangiare
In many countries, you get treated to food and drinks on your birthday. In Italy, it is the opposite! If the birthday girl or boy invites guests out for drinks, she or he is expected to pay for everyone!
• Compiere 18 anni
Turning 18 is the biggest milestone in terms of Italian birthdays. When you’re a teenager, that’s a big deal. You will now be maggiorenne (of age) and therefore able to get your driving license, travel abroad without special arrangements and get drinks in bars and pubs!
Italian happy birthday: what you need to know
1. Should happy birthday be capitalized in Italian?
Il mio compleanno, che è il 25 gennaio, quest’anno cade di lunedì.
My birthday, which is on the 25th of January, this year falls on a Monday.
2. Should you text your ex happy birthday?
Well, in Italy it is actually quite common to stay friends with ex-partners, and even a simple tanti auguri can show you remember them kindly. I’d say, why not?!
3. Is it better to say "tanti auguri" or "buon compleanno?"
There is no difference really between the two expressions. If you’re not sure which one you want to use, just combine them, as we showed above: tanti auguri di buon compleanno!
Cento di questi giorni…
Now you'll be able to wish someone special a happy birthday in Italian, celebrate and sing with your friends, and enjoy some birthday cake.
Remember, practicing is key when learning Italian, so go out there and ask all the native speakers you know to tell you about their Italian birthdays, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes, sbagliando s’impara!
Auguri!