Looking to celebrate a birthday with your German friends? For many people, their birthday is the best day of the year. It's an opportunity to get together and celebrate with their friends and family. Knowing some birthday-related phrases will help you take part!

Here you'll find a collection of phrases and questions that you can use on or around someone's birthday. Take a look and get ready to party!

Essential Phrases

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Wann hast du Geburtstag?
 
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When is your birthday?
 
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Mein Geburtstag ist am 19. Oktober.
 
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My birthday is on the 19th of October.
 
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Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
 
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Happy Birthday!
 
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Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Tag!
 
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Have a great one!
 
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Mach dir einen schönen Tag!
 
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Have a good one!
 
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Ich hoffe du hast einen wunderschönen Geburtstag!
 
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I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
 
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Was machst du an deinem Geburtstag?
 
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What are you doing on your birthday?
 
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Wie alt bist du jetzt?
 
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How old are you now?
 
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Ich bin 32 Jahre alt.
 
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I'm 32 years old.
 
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Sie ist heute 16 geworden.
 
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She just turned 16 today.
 
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Heute ist sein 21. Geburtstag.
 
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It's his 21st birthday today.
 
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Ich werde mit einigen Freunden und der Familie feiern.
 
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I'm going to celebrate with some friends and family.
 
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Ich veranstalte dieses Wochenende eine Party, um meinen Geburtstag zu feiern.
 
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I'm throwing a party this weekend to celebrate my birthday.
 
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Willst du zu meiner Geburtstagsfeier kommen?
 
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Do you want to come to my birthday party?
 
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Was für einen Kuchen hast du dieses Jahr bekommen?
 
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What kind of cake did you get this year?
 
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Meine Mutter hat einen riesigen Schokoladenkuchen für mich gebacken.
 
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My mom made a huge chocolate cake for me.
 
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Hast du dir etwas gewünscht, als du die Kerzen ausgeblasen hast?
 
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Did you make a wish when you blew out the candles?
 
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Welche Geschenke hast du dieses Jahr bekommen?
 
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What gifts did you get this year?
 
 

Answers to the Most Common Questions

What are the most essential English phrases for talking about birthdays?
  • Wann hast du Geburtstag?
    When is your birthday?
  • Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
    Happy Birthday!
  • Wie alt bist du jetzt?
    How old are you now?
  • Ich bin 32 Jahre alt.
    I'm 32 years old.
  • Mein Geburtstag ist am 19. Oktober.
    My birthday is on the 19th of October.
  • Was machst du an deinem Geburtstag?
    What are you doing on your birthday?
  • Willst du zu meiner Geburtstagsfeier kommen?
    Do you want to come to my birthday party?
  • Hast du dir etwas gewünscht, als du die Kerzen ausgeblasen hast?
    Did you make a wish when you blew out the candles?

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How do I tell someone when my birthday is?
By using the sentence pattern Mein Geburtstag ist am + DATUM. you can tell someone when your birthday is.
  • Mein Geburtstag ist am 19. Oktober. (My birthday is on the 19th of October.)
  • Mein Geburtstag ist am 24. März. (My birthday is on the 24th of March.)
  • Mein Geburtstag ist am 5. August. (My birthday is on the 5th of August.)

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How do I tell someone how old I am?
To tell someone how old you are, use the sentence pattern Ich bin + ALTER + Jahre alt..
  • Ich bin 32 Jahre alt. (I'm 32 years old.)
  • Ich bin 17 Jahre alt. (I'm 17 years old.)
  • Ich bin 45 Jahre alt. (I'm 45 years old.)

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What are some common birthday traditions in the German-speaking world?
There are a couple of common birthday traditions in German-speaking countries. Your friends or family usually make a birthday cake for you. The songs Happy Birthday or Wie schön, dass du geboren bist are commonly sung as the cake is brought out, and it is decorated with candles. The number of candles traditionally equals how old you've become on your birthday. If you turn thirty for example, then your cake would be topped with thirty candles. Not all families follow this tradition though, and it's normal to decorate a cake with a random number of candles. After the birthday song is sung, you have to blow out the candles. Beforehand you have to make a wish though! It'll come true if you blow out all the candles with one breath. Besides these things, gifts are also usually given to the person whose birthday it is.
How do you wish somebody a happy birthday in German?
The most common ways to wish someone a happy birthday are:

⁠Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
⁠Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, ich hoffe, du hast einen schönen Tag!
⁠Ich wünsche dir alles erdenklich Gute zu deinem Geburtstag!
Are there any particularly special birthdays in the German-speaking world?
The most special birthdays in Germany are when you turn 16, 17, 18, and 21. When you turn 16 you can legally drink alcohol and go to bars. At 17 you are allowed to drive with an experienced driver over 30. When you turn 18 then you are allowed to drive independently if you have a license, and you can buy liquor or to go to clubs. Turning 21 is particularly important if you live in Berlin, as some clubs are only open to people aged 21 and over.
To the CourseTo the Complete Unit "Celebrating a Birthday"