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"birthday" in seven languages

Meaningbirthday

Spanish

cumpleaños

/kumpleˈaɲos/

masc.other source · Spanish cumple 'completes' + años 'years'

Invariable: los cumpleaños; colloquially el cumple.

French

anniversaire

/anivɛʁsɛʁ/

masc.other source · Latin ANNIVERSĀRIUM 'returning yearly' (learned)

Also any anniversary.

Italian

compleanno

/kompleˈanno/

masc.other source · Italian compie 'completes' + anno 'year'

Portuguese

aniversário

/anivehˈsaɾju/

masc.other source · Latin ANNIVERSĀRIUM 'returning yearly' (learned)

Romanian

zi de naștere

/zi de ˈnaʃtere/

fem.other source · Romanian zi 'day' (Latin DIEM) + naștere 'birth' (Latin NĀSCERE)

The birthday wish is La mulți ani! 'to many years'.

Catalan

aniversari

/ənibərˈsaɾi/

masc.other source · Latin ANNIVERSĀRIUM 'returning yearly' (learned)

The usual wish is Per molts anys! 'for many years'.

English

birthday

/ˈbɝθdeɪ/

native English · Old English byrddæg

English → ItalianbirthdaycompleannoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share

The story

Spanish and Italian say the same thing in their own words — 'one completes years' (cumplir años, compiere gli anni); French uses learned anniversaire, English anniversary.

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In a sentence

  • es¡Feliz cumpleaños!
  • frJoyeux anniversaire !
  • itBuon compleanno!
  • ptFeliz aniversário!
  • roLa mulți ani!
  • caPer molts anys!
  • enHappy birthday!

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