Wishing someone a happy birthday in Italian relies mainly on two expressions: Buon compleanno for the day of birth and Auguri for general wishes. The distinction between compleanno (person) and anniversario (marriage or event) is fundamental. Be careful not to confuse the two!
Essential phrases for wishing happy birthday
- Auguri! : Best wishes! / Congratulations! (The most common and versatile expression, used for all celebrations)
- Tanti auguri! : Lots of wishes! / Happy birthday! (Very popular standard phrase)
- Buon compleanno! : Good birthday! / Happy birthday! (Specific to the day of birth)
- Felice compleanno! : Happy birthday! (Slightly more formal, but very elegant)
- Tantissimi auguri! : Ever so many wishes! (Using the superlative to emphasise intensity)
- Auguroni! : Big wishes! (Affectionate augmentative, often used amongst close friends or family)
- Mille di questi giorni! : Literally “A thousand of these days” / May you live this a thousand times more (Traditional longevity wish)
- Cento di questi giorni! : Literally “A hundred of these days” / A hundred more birthdays like this one
- Ti auguro il meglio : I wish you the best
- Sinceri auguri : Sincere wishes
Celebration verbs
- Festeggiare : To party / To celebrate
- Celebrare : To celebrate (Often more solemn)
- Compiere gli anni : To have another year / To celebrate one’s birthday (Specific verb for the action of “completing” another year)
- Invitare : To invite
- Ricevere : To receive
- Organizzare : To organise
- Regalare : To give (a gift)
- Scartare : To unwrap (a gift)
- Spegnere : To extinguish / To blow out (Used for candles)
- Brindare : To toast
- Augurare : To wish
- Invecchiare : To age (Often used humorously)
- Crescere : To grow
- Divertirsi : To have fun
- Ballare : To dance
- Cantare : To sing
- Sorprendere : To surprise
People and guests
- Il festeggiato (m.) : The birthday boy / The star of the day
- La festeggiata (f.) : The birthday girl
- L’invitato (m.) : The guest (male)
- L’invitata (f.) : The guest (female)
- Gli ospiti (m. pl.) : the hosts / the guests
- L’amico del cuore (m.) : The best friend (male)
- L’amica del cuore (f.) : The best friend (female)
- I parenti (m. pl.) : The family / The relatives (Attention, doesn’t mean “parents” in the sense of father and mother, but extended family)
- I genitori (m. pl.) : The parents (father and mother)
- I bambini (m. pl.) : The children
- Il compagno (m.) : The companion / The mate
- La compagna (f.) : The companion (female)
- I colleghi (m. pl.) : The colleagues
Age and life stages
- L’età (f.) : The age
- Quanti anni hai? : How old are you?
- Quanti anni compie? : How old is he/she turning?
- Avere … anni : To be … years old
- Il neonato (m.) : The newborn
- L’infanzia (f.) : Childhood
- L’adolescenza (f.) : Adolescence
- Maggiorenne (adj.) : Of age (In Italy, the age of majority is 18)
- La maggiore età (f.) : The age of majority
- Minorenne (adj.) : Underage
- Diventare grande : To grow up
- Mezza età (f.) : Middle age / The fifties
- Anziano (adj.) : Elderly / Senior
- La data di nascita (f.) : The date of birth
- L’anno di nascita (m.) : The year of birth
- Il coetaneo (m.) : The person of the same age
The party and organisation
- La festa (f.) : The party
- La festa di compleanno (f.) : The birthday party
- La festa a sorpresa (f.) : The surprise party
- Il party (m.) : The party / The celebration (Anglicism very common in Italy)
- L’invito (m.) : The invitation
- Il biglietto d’auguri (m.) : The greeting card
- La decorazione (f.) : The decoration
- I palloncini (m. pl.) : The balloons
- I festoni (m. pl.) : The garlands
- I coriandoli (m. pl.) : The confetti
- La musica (f.) : The music
- La playlist (f.) : The playlist
- I giochi di società (m. pl.) : The board games
- L’animazione (f.) : The entertainment
- La sala (f.) : The hall (reception)
- A casa : At home
- Al ristorante : At the restaurant
The cake and sweets
The dessert moment is crucial in Italy. The birthday cake is often ordered from a “pasticceria” (pastry shop) and can be very elaborate.
- La torta (f.) : The cake
- La torta di compleanno (f.) : The birthday cake
- Le candeline (f. pl.) : The little candles
- La candela (f.) : The candle
- Il desiderio (m.) : The wish (The one you make when blowing out the candles)
- Esprimere un desiderio : To make a wish
- Il pasticcino (m.) : The petit four / The small cake
- La pasticceria (f.) : The pastry shop (the place or the art)
- Il gusto (m.) : The taste / The flavour (ice cream or cake)
- Al cioccolato : Chocolate
- Alla crema : Cream
- Alla frutta : Fruit
- La panna montata (f.) : Whipped cream
- La fetta (f.) : The slice / The piece
- Tagliare la torta : To cut the cake
- Mangiare : To eat
- Goloso (adj.) : Greedy / Sweet-toothed
Drinks and toasts
- Lo spumante (m.) : Sparkling wine (Essential for Italian celebrations)
- Il prosecco (m.) : Prosecco (Famous sparkling white wine)
- Lo champagne (m.) : Champagne
- Il bicchiere (m.) : The glass
- Il calice (m.) : The goblet / The stemmed glass
- La bottiglia (f.) : The bottle
- Il tappo (m.) : The cork
- Stappare : To uncork (a bottle)
- Il brindisi (m.) : The toast
- Cin cin! : Cheers! (Most common expression for toasting)
- Alla salute! : To your health!
- Ubriacarsi : To get drunk (To be consumed in moderation)
- Analcolico (adj.) : Non-alcoholic
- La bibita (f.) : The soft drink / The fizzy drink
- Il succo di frutta (m.) : The fruit juice
Gifts
- Il regalo (m.) : The gift
- Il pensierino (m.) : The small gift / The little token (Term widely used for a modest but symbolic gift)
- Il pacchetto (m.) : The package
- La carta regalo (f.) : The gift wrap
- Il nastro (m.) : The ribbon
- Il fiocco (m.) : The bow (of the ribbon)
- La sorpresa (f.) : The surprise
- La lista dei desideri (f.) : The wish list
- Il buono regalo (m.) : The gift voucher / The gift card
- Prezioso (adj.) : Precious
- Costoso (adj.) : Expensive / Dear
- Originale (adj.) : Original
- Utile (adj.) : Useful
- Inaspettato (adj.) : Unexpected
Phrases for writing a greeting card
- Ti auguro un anno pieno di gioia : I wish you a year full of joy
- Spero che tutti i tuoi sogni si avverino : I hope all your dreams come true
- Con tanto affetto : With much affection
- Un abbraccio forte : A big hug
- Baci e abbracci : Kisses and hugs
- Sei speciale per me : You are special to me
- Non cambiare mai : Never change
- Resta sempre come sei : Always stay as you are
- Ti voglio bene : I love you (friendship/family)
- Ti amo : I love you (romantic love)
- Buona fortuna per il futuro : Good luck for the future
- Che questo giorno sia indimenticabile : May this day be unforgettable
Wedding anniversaries and other celebrations
Beware, classic trap: compleanno = birthday, anniversario = anniversary of an event (marriage, death, etc.). Don’t confuse them!
- L’anniversario (m.) : The anniversary (of an event)
- L’anniversario di matrimonio (m.) : The wedding anniversary
- Le nozze d’argento (f. pl.) : Silver wedding (25 years)
- Le nozze d’oro (f. pl.) : Golden wedding (50 years)
- L’onomastico (m.) : Name day / Saint’s day (Very celebrated in southern Italy, sometimes as much as birthdays)
- Buon onomastico! : Happy name day!
- Il santo (m.) : The saint
Zodiac signs and months
- Il segno zodiacale (m.) : The zodiac sign
- L’oroscopo (m.) : The horoscope
- Ariete : Aries
- Toro : Taurus
- Gemelli : Gemini
- Cancro : Cancer
- Leone : Leo
- Vergine : Virgo
- Bilancia : Libra
- Scorpione : Scorpio
- Sagittario : Sagittarius
- Capricorno : Capricorn
- Acquario : Aquarius
- Pesci : Pisces
- Nato a gennaio : Born in January
- Nato a febbraio : Born in February
- Nato a marzo : Born in March
- Nato ad aprile : Born in April
- Nato a maggio : Born in May
- Nato a giugno : Born in June
- Nato a luglio : Born in July
- Nato ad agosto : Born in August
- Nato a settembre : Born in September
- Nato ad ottobre : Born in October
- Nato a novembre : Born in November
- Nato a dicembre : Born in December
Thanking for wishes
- Grazie! : Thank you!
- Grazie mille! : Thanks a million!
- Grazie di cuore : Thank you from the heart
- Grazie per gli auguri : Thank you for the wishes
- Grazie per il regalo : Thank you for the gift
- Sei stato gentilissimo (m.) : You’ve been very kind
- Sei stata gentilissima (f.) : You’ve been very kind
- È bellissimo! : It’s beautiful! (speaking of the gift)
- Mi piace tantissimo : I like it so much
- Grazie di esserci : Thank you for being here
- Grazie per la sorpresa : Thank you for the surprise
The birthday song
- La canzone (f.) : The song
- Il ritornello (m.) : The chorus
- Cantare in coro : To sing in chorus
- Tanti auguri a te : Happy birthday to you (Title and main lyrics of the Italian song, to the same tune as the French or English version)
To conclude
There you have it for birthday vocabulary in Italian! The essentials to remember: “Buon compleanno” for a birthday, “Auguri” for all other wishes, and above all NEVER say “anniversario” for a birthday (it’s reserved for marriages and events).
A little cultural tip: in Italy, birthdays are a serious affair. People often organise a big family meal, and the cake comes from the local pastry shop, not the supermarket. And if you’re invited, always bring a small gift, even a symbolic one – it’s very rude to arrive empty-handed.
Something else to know: in certain regions, especially in the south, “onomastico” (the feast day of the saint whose name you bear) is almost as important as your birthday. If your name is Giovanni and it’s St John’s day, expect to receive as many messages as for your real birthday!
And don’t forget: when you blow out the candles in Italy, make a wish (“esprimi un desiderio”), but don’t tell anyone, otherwise it won’t come true. It’s tradition!