How To Say Happy Birthday in Dutch: Your Party-Ready Phrase Guide

In the Netherlands, birthday celebrations aren't just a quick "happy birthday" and some cake - they're full-blown social events that bring together family and friends in the most Dutch way possible. If you get invited to  Dutch birthday party, you'll even find yourself seated in what they call a "verjaardagscirkel" (birthday circle), where chairs are arranged in a perfect ring so everyone can chat, laugh, and celebrate together.

The Dutch take their birthday tracking seriously - they've even got special calendars (usually hanging in their bathrooms of all places!) where they meticulously note down everyone's special day. When every birthday gets this much attention, you'll want to nail the proper way to express your well-wishes in Dutch.

In this post, I'm going to walk you through how to say happy birthday in Dutch like a native speaker. I'll also explain everything you need to know to join in the celebration!

How To Say Happy Birthday In Dutch

The most common and straightforward way to wish someone a happy birthday in Dutch is "Gefeliciteerd!" (pronounced as heh-fey-li-see-TAYRT). While this literally translates to "Congratulations," it's the standard birthday greeting in the Netherlands.

• Gefeliciteerd = congratulations
• Verjaardag=  combines "jaar" (year) with "dag" (day) to literally mean "birthday"

Want to sound extra thoughtful? You can mix and match these phrases based on how well you know the birthday person. If you're talking to someone you're close with, you might use "je" (informal 'your'), but for your boss or someone older, you'd want to use "uw" (formal 'your'). You can even drop the "met je verjaardag" part entirely if you're already at the birthday party - everyone will know exactly what you mean!

• "Gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag, [Name]!" (Happy birthday, [Name]!)
• "Van harte gefeliciteerd met uw verjaardag" (Heartfelt congratulations on your birthday - formal)
• "Gefeliciteerd! Maak er een mooie dag van" (Congratulations! Make it a beautiful day)

Other Popular Birthday Wishes In Dutch

You know how sometimes "Happy Birthday" just feels a bit... basic? Well, the Dutch feel the same way! They've got this wonderful collection of birthday wishes that can really show someone you care.

The Dutch often repeat good wishes throughout the day, so don't be shy about using these phrases more than once! And if you're feeling really adventurous, try combining them - something like "Van harte gefeliciteerd, nog vele jaren!" That's guaranteed to bring a smile to any birthday person's face.

Personalizing Dutch Birthday Greetings

To make your birthday wishes more personal, let me share some phrases that'll make any Dutch birthday person light up. You can mix and match these with your basic birthday greetings, kind of like building your own perfect birthday message:

• "...en nog vele jaren!" (en nokh VEY-luh YAA-ren) - "...and many more years!"
• "Ik wens je een fantastische dag" (ik vens yuh un fan-TAS-tis-uh dakh) - "I wish you a fantastic day"
• "Maak er een onvergetelijke dag van" (maak er un on-ver-KHET-uh-luk-uh dakh van) - "Make it an unforgettable day"
• "Geniet van je dag, lieverd!" (khuh-neet fan yuh dakh, lee-vert) - "Enjoy your day, dear!"
• "Laat je maar eens lekker verwennen" (laat yuh maar ayns lek-ker ver-wen-nen) - "Let yourself be spoiled today"
• "Een dikke knuffel" (ayn dik-kuh k-NEW-fel) - "A big hug"

Remember, you can start with a simple "gefeliciteerd" and then add any of these phrases to create your own special combination.

What Is the Dutch Birthday Song?

While everyone's seated in that famous birthday circle, the Dutch people usually sing "Er Is Er Één Jarig"! This catchy tune is actually the go-to birthday song that gets everyone clapping and singing along.

After this song, many Dutch people will often launch into "Lang Zal Hij/Zij Leven" as a follow-up - because hey, why stop at just one birthday song when you can have two? It's like having your cake and eating it too (pun totally intended). Here, 'hij' is used for 'he' and 'zij' for 'she', so make sure you pick the right version for your birthday star!

After the third "hiep hiep," everyone waits for someone to shout "HOERA!" before joining in. It's like a mini-musical performance where everyone gets to play their part!

Dutch Birthday Vocabulary

You know what makes a Dutch birthday even more fun? Being able to throw around some birthday-related words like a local! Check out the table below where I rounded up some of the best Dutch words related to all things "birthday!"

Ready To Greet In A New Language?

Learning how to say "Happy Birthday" in Dutch is just the beginning of your language adventure! Whether you're dreaming of wishing "bon anniversaire" in French, dropping a heartfelt "Alles Gute zum Geburtstag" in German, or surprising someone with a cheerful "생일 축하합니다" (saengil chukahamnida) in Korean, Lingopie's got you covered.

Lingopie is a VOD platform that helps you master birthday wishes and so much more across different cultures and languages. Through engaging content and real-world examples, you'll pick up these celebration phrases naturally, just like you've learned these Dutch expressions.

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So why not take your language skills to the next level? Your friends will be amazed when you start dropping birthday wishes in multiple languages at their next celebration!