When you need this

Birthdays come up all year: wishing someone a happy birthday at work, asking what they're doing to celebrate, confessing you forgot, or planning something for a friend. The core phrases are fixed, and people notice when you get them slightly wrong, so these are worth saying exactly.

Americans usually say birthday phrases warmly and quickly. "Happy birthday" is often followed by a question, "Doing anything fun?", so the moment turns into a small conversation instead of a one-line greeting.

Phrases

the standard wish, said on the day

an older, more formal wish; you'll hear it from British speakers

reach a new age

a big one, like eighteen, thirty or fifty

do something special because of an occasion

late; used when you missed the day

a folded paper card with a message inside

each give some money toward a shared gift

put out the flames on a cake by blowing

a party the person doesn't know about

asking about gift ideas

the friendly way to ask someone's new age

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Practice · 3 min

Say one natural line for each situation.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.