Belated birthday wishes for a friend
• Happy Little-Bit-Late Birthday! Sorry I forgot, but I wanted to send you belated birthday wishes all the same!
• Wishing you a belated happy birthday, pal! Sorry I missed the big day, but thought I’d extend your birthday a little longer.
• A belated happy birthday to you. May all the good things that life has to offer always find their way to your doorstep (hopefully quicker than this card!)
• Despite my wishes being a little late, you know they are straight from the bottom of my heart. I wish you success in all your endeavors. Happy belated birthday, my friend.
• It’s never too late to wish a wonderful friend like you happy birthday. May your life be full of peace, joy, happiness and success. Happy belated birthday friend.
Belated birthday wishes for your cousin
• Good things come to those who wait! Happy belated birthday Cousin!
• We all know that birthdays are special, but someone like you is special everyday! Happy belated birthday Cousin!
• I didn’t forget your birthday, I just wanted to prolong the celebration! Happy happy birthday cuz!
• In another part of the world it’s custom to send birthday wishes the day after someone’s birthday. I don’t know where, but I’m there! Happy belated birthday to my favourite cousin.
• I know it seems like I forgot your birthday, but actually I was just waiting for a quiet moment to tell you how special you are. Happy belated birthday cousin!
• Wishing my dear cousin a happy belated birthday! You will always be more like a sibling to me. Sending lots of love to you.
• Sorry this card is a bit late. I remembered your birthday, just not the date! Happy belated birthday cousin!
Belated birthday wishes for your niece
• Even though this is late, it’s never too late to wish you the best of everything! Happy birthday niece!
• Your birthday came, and then it went. Here’s the message I should have sent. Belated happy birthday my beautiful niece! Sorry this message is late, but I thought I’d include a small poem to make it up to you.
• May you always be as wise as the old oaks, as graceful as the falling leaves and more punctual than this birthday card. Happy birthday my dear niece. Sorry for the late wishes!
• Since you were born I’ve been wishing you only the best. It’s been a pleasure to watch you grow into the incredible woman you are today, and I am so sorry to have missed this momentous occasion. Sending you much love and the heartiest belated birthday wishes.
• You are an absolute joy in our lives and not a day goes past that I don’t think of you. Sorry to have missed your birthday, but I celebrate the woman you have become every day! Happy belated birthday niece!
Belated birthday wishes for your aunt
• This wish is late so that you can celebrate longer! Happy belated birthday aunt!
• To my favourite Auntie, happy happy belated birthday! I’m so sorry that I missed the special day, but, to me, you are special every day!
• Thank you for always being like a second mother to me. I appreciate all you do and wish you only the best for the next chapter in your life! Apologies for the belated birthday wishes!
• I’m so sorry I forgot your birthday, but how do you expect me to remember when you don’t look any older! Belated happy birthday to my beautiful aunt!
• Now that everyone else’s wishes have worn off, you can have a great big one from me! Happy belated birthday sweet Aunty!
• I’m so incredibly sorry for missing your special day Auntie! Please forgive me and accept my sincerest wishes in celebration of your birthday. I know that you will succeed in all that you set out to achieve.
Belated birthday wishes for your uncle
• The world is made up of two types of people. Meticulously punctual types and the awesome fun people like me who don’t own calendars. Happy belated birthday uncle!
• Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about you. Apparently very ‘lately’! Happy belated birthday uncle! Sorry I missed it! Will be sure to catch the next one. Wishing you all the best.
• Sorry I missed the beginning of this new chapter, glad to see that it's off to a roaring start! Happy happy belated birthday to you, Uncle!
• Sorry for the belated wishes but today, I’ll raise a toast to you and hope you enjoy all the finer things in life. You’ll always be the coolest uncle around. Happy belated birthday uncle!
Belated birthday wishes for your dog
• In my eyes, every day with you is worth celebrating! Sorry I missed your birthday my special pooch.
• Happy belated birthday dog! Sorry for the late wishes, but the treats will make up for it I’m sure.
• Thanks for being happy to see me when I come home, even when I miss your birthday! Happy belated birthday dog friend!
• Even though you had no idea, I feel terrible for missing your birthday! Happy belated birthday dog. Wishing you a happy future filled with walks, tennis balls and treats! Thanks for being my best friend.
• Sorry I missed your birthday, bud. It was the cat’s fault! Your belated birthday wishes come complete with a fancy cooked dinner and your favourite back rub. All the best for the dog years head!
Belated happy birthday in French
The French express their belated birthday wishes by saying ‘Joyeux anniversaire avec un peu de retard’.
Belated happy birthday in Spanish
In Spanish, they say ‘Feliz cumpleaños atrasado!’.
Belated happy birthday in Chinese
The way to wish someone a belated happy birthday in Chinese is ‘请接受我迟到的生日祝福’.
Belated happy birthday in Italian
In Italian, to wish someone a belated birthday you say ‘Auguri in ritardo’.
If you’ve missed a loved one's birthday don’t fret! These things happen and now you’ve got some ideas of how to make it up to them. Just remember that it really is the thought that counts. Even if it’s a little late.
Sending happy birthday wishes can be more challenging than it seems, thanks to those inviting yet pesky blank spaces on the birthday card. After all, how can you put into words everything you feel for your loved one? And how can everything fit in that space?
Maybe all you need is a little nudge — by way of some birthday quotes and sayings.
To help you send the perfect happy birthday wish, weve put together a list of our favorites below. Short, long, funny, sweet, weve tried to include every length and tone you and your card may be looking for!
So, take some time to browse. Use a quote or two for inspiration, or even borrow the words themselves. No matter how you decide to use them, know that you dont have to face those daunting blank spaces alone.
Birthday Quotes, Happy Birthday Wishes, and Birthday Sayings
• You dont get older, you get better.
• Age is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying you. Happy birthday!
• “Just remember, once youre over the hill you begin to pick up speed.” – Charles Schulz
• “You know youre getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.” – Bob Hope
• “A party without cake is just a meeting.” – Julia Child
• “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” – Dr. Seuss
• “Dont just count your years, make your years count.” – George Meredith
• “I think all this talk about age is foolish. Every time Im one year older, everyone else is too.” – Gloria Swanson
• “It takes a long time to become young.” – Pablo Picasso
• Wishing you a birthday as amazing as you are!
• Cheers to another trip around the sun – happy birthday!
• Hoping your birthday is extra sweet.
• Sending you happy, dancing, confetti-popping, cake-filled birthday wishes!
• The older you get, the better you get. Unless youre a banana.
• Just like a fine wine, you get better with age.
• Wishing you a purrrrfect birthday.
• I am so happy you were born, and even happier youre in my life.
• To my dearest, sweetest, most wonderful friend – wishing you a year filled with nothing but happiness.
• Another year older, another year wiser, and another night well never remember. Happy birthday!
• Cheers to the birthday girl – drinks on me!
• HBD to my BFF
• Youre not old, youre classic.
• Dont worry, youre not getting old. You were already old a long time ago.
• May your birthday bloom with happiness!
• I hope that all of the beauty and kindness that you bring into the world comes back to you in the year ahead.
• Thank you for everything you do, for always being there, and for making my life so much brighter. Happy birthday!
• Getting older is mandatory, but growing up is optional.
Birthday Card Ideas
How frustrating is it to be writing a happy birthday wish with a pen, only to make the tiniest mistake? Pretty darn frustrating.
When you choose a design from our online birthday card collection, not only will you be able to send a beautiful and eco-friendly card, youll have the ability to erase your mistakes — write and rewrite your happy birthday wishes as many times as you need to before you hit "Send". Now your loved ones can receive the birthday wish they deserve, free of scribbles.
Start designing today, explore the countless customization possibilities, and schedule your card to send when you need it to, whether thats in the next five minutes, or five months from now.
Once upon a time, you had to actually remember someone’s birthday, pick them up a greeting card, write some words in it by hand, and get it in the mail well before their big day.
On the birthday girl or boy’s side, that same technology makes it easy to thank everyone for their thoughts. The day after your birthday, you can simply type out "thanks for all the birthday wishes" and broadcast the message via your medium of choice. Done and done.
Straightforward
Here are some simple and straightforward ways to say thank you to all the people who wished you a Happy Birthday.
• Thank you all for the birthday wishes. You really made my day!
• Thanks for all the birthday wishes! You made a great day even greater!
• Thanks for wishing me a Happy Birthday, everyone! It was happy indeed, thanks to you!
• Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes. You guys are the best!
• To everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday: Thank you!!! I had a great day, and hearing from all of you was one of the best parts of it!
• You rock! Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone!
• To all who posted birthday wishes… thank you so much for thinking of me!
• Thank you all for taking the time to post your birthday wishes. I loved hearing from each and every one of you!
• It was nice to hear from so many people yesterday. Thanks for making me feel special on my birthday.
• Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed hearing from so many friends.
Funny
A great way to thank people is to give them a chuckle. Here are a few humorous thank you messages.
• My thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday. The rest of you are dead to me.
• To everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday: thank you so much! To everyone else: I am in the process of unfriending you.
• Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone. Hearing from you slightly lessened my despair at turning a year older.
• My thanks to everyone who congratulated me on turning a year older yesterday. To those who rubbed it in… your time is coming.
• Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes, everyone. They almost made me forget that I’m speeding toward the grave.
• Thanks for all the Happy Birthday wishes, even the ones that teased me for being so old!
• Thank you all for the birthday wishes! You made turning a year older seem a little less sucky!
• Here’s my obligatory "thanks for the birthday wishes" status. But seriously, I really do appreciate it!
• Hey everyone, your birthday wishes really meant a lot to me. Not as much as a present or cash, but a lot.
Sweet/Sincere
Finally, here are some especially sweet wording ideas. These messages are just the thing if you’re the touchy-feely type.
• Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I love you all!
• Thanks for all the kind birthday wishes! The best birthday gift is being reminded of what wonderful friends I have!
• My thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday. It really meant a lot to me.
• Thank you all for making me feel like a queen on my birthday. Every single birthday wish was special to me.
• Thank you so much for the birthday wishes. Hearing from so many family members and friends makes me feel grateful for all the wonderful people in my life.
• My birthday was awesome, and that’s thanks to all the awesome people who took time to send me birthday wishes. Thank you!
• Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone. I feel blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.
• Thanks for the sweet birthday wishes, everyone. They made me feel wonderful.
• Thank you all for the beautiful Happy Birthday wishes. You made my day extra-special.
• Gosh, you all make me feel so special. Thank you for your kind birthday wishes!
• Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes. You guys are simply the best!
Of course, another great way to thank people for wishing you a Happy Birthday is to return the favor. Check out our birthday section for unique birthday messages of all kinds.
You do say happy birthday in Italian with more than just one expression. Even if today’s not my birthday, I’m Italian. And Italian people really do love celebrating anniversaries and special occasions, so that’s why you could find it useful to know the different ways to make your best wishes for someone’s birthday.
How Do You Say Happy Birthday In Italian?
Buon compleanno is the one expression you can use to wish your Italian friend, partner or relatives a literal happy birthday. It’s considered the official way, although you will also hear Tanti auguri as another popular greeting. Tantissimi auguri is the superlative form, while just Auguri is more of a fast one used on various occasions besides birthdays. If you really want to sound like a local, longer phrases such as Ti auguro un felice compleanno! or Cento di questi giorni! are the perfect way to show off a little bit to impress your friends!
So, let’s dive in and see how you can wish a happy birthday in Italian.
8 Common Ways To Wish Happy Birthday In Italian
Here’s a list of all the ways of saying happy birthday in Italian.
Let’s find out together each of them in detail:
1. Buon Compleanno
Literally meaning "good birthday", it’s the most direct way to express your best wishes. No matter how the occasion is celebrated, Italians mainly wish a happy birthday using buon compleanno!
If you learn this expression, you will surely know an excellent way to impress your Italian friends.
Example:
Buon compleanno, Emma! Hai ricevuto il mio regalo?
Happy birthday, Emma! Did you get my present for you?
2. Auguri
Auguri is a very general way of wishing someone a happy birthday in Italian. It basically means you’re wishing somebody happiness. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Easter, New Year’s Eve, or your friend is starting a new job or getting married, auguri is definitely the primary choice.
Knowing a versatile word helps you guys that are learning Italian. You can use it on various special occasions, from a couple that’s going to have a baby to someone’s graduation day.
Furthermore, you can form another popular expression by adding the augmentative suffix -oni at the end of the word to send your big wishes. Auguroni!
Examples:
Auguri, Enzo! Quanti anni compi?
Happy birthday, Enzo? How old are you today?
Auguroni, zio Tom! Stai invecchiando!
Happy birthday, Uncle Tom! You’re getting old!
3. Tanti auguri
As you’ve seen, tanti auguri does not contain the word compleanno. So, it’s not only for birthdays and it can be considered a bonus card when it comes to Italian greetings.
Fun fact: auguri is the plural form of augurio, which literally means omen in Italian. Coming from the ancient Latin language, it originally meant prophecy or divination.
Tanti auguri translates as best wishes. It emphasizes your expression of goodwill for somebody’s birthday by the word tanti, which actually means many.
So far, it’s probably the most popular way to send someone birthday wishes. You should just remember the context, but it will be enough to convey why you are greeting the birthday boy or girl.
Example:
Tanti auguri, Stella! Non vedo l’ora di venire alla tua festa!
Happy birthday, Stella! Can’t wait to come over to your party!
4. Tantissimi auguri
Tantissimi is just the superlative form of tanti. It means that you really have many many – and possibly, your best – wishes for your friends or relatives.
Example:
Ciao Lara, oggi è il tuo compleanno? Tantissimi auguri!
Hi Lara, is it your birthday today? Happy birthday!
5. Tanti cari auguri
When you want to shower someone in kindness you could put a little extra word between tanti and auguri. So, you can address your many dear wishes every time they’re truly heartfelt.
Example:
Ciao nonna, tanti cari auguri per il tuo compleanno.
Hello granma, many dear wishes for your birthday.
6. Tanti auguri di buon compleanno
This is a combination of the two most common expressions we’ve seen already before. If you’re writing a birthday card or a letter, buon compleanno tends to be the primary choice. The whole phrase tanti auguri di buon compleanno is surely the best way when written on paper.
Otherwise, Italians are more likely to use this expression in formal contexts.
Example:
Caro papà, tanti auguri di buon compleanno!
Dear dad, best wishes for a happy birthday!
7. Ti auguro un felice compleanno
Then, ti auguro un felice compleanno translates literally as I wish you a happy birthday. If you want to bring someone else’s wishes, you should pay attention to the correct syntax of the phrase. And even if you want to wish a happy birthday to more than one person, that is what to do.
Examples:
Vi auguriamo un buon compleanno.
We wish you a happy birthday.
Mio padre le augura un buon compleanno, signora.
My father wishes you a happy birthday, ma’am.
8. Cento di questi giorni!
You will sound more like a native if you use the expression cento di questi giorni, which literally means one hundred of these days.
Even though it does not explicitly mention birthdays, it’s often considered a kind way to send your best wishes to the birthday boy or girl. Probably, it could be a bit confusing as you’re wishing for just one hundred days.
But actually, you’re referring to one hundred birthdays more. Make it special, so it will be relieved next year!
Examples:
Buon compleanno, Brian. Cento di questi giorni!
Happy birthday, Brian. One hundred days like this!
How To Answer To Happy Birthday In Italian
You can simply answer a very warm grazie to someone that has just wished you a happy birthday.
Italian Birthday Traditions
Although Italian people usually celebrate birthdays in a similar way to many other countries in the world, there are some quirks when it comes to Italian birthday parties.
So, let’s see some Italian birthday traditions together!
The Most Important Birthday
So that’s the reason why the biggest parties always come to celebrate the so-called maturità (coming of age). The style and the size of the party depend on the family and the person, but they tend to be as great as possible.
The Birthday Person Takes Care of the Party
Chi compie gli anni, paga – or the one who is celebrating birthday pays. In Italy it’s actually an unwritten rule whenever someone is throwing a party for their birthday. Probably it will sound weird to you that the party’s not a friends’ responsibility to take care of.
But you should know that food is a huge part of Italian culture. Sharing high-quality cooked stuff and drinks is a very important social activity. It conveys the pleasure of spending time together with people you love. When somebody celebrates his or her birthday, they show appreciation for their guests by offering them a meal.
Party is usually held at the birthday person’s house where everything will be prepared for the occasion. You could see some decorations all along the walls, streamers and balloons especially if it’s a children's birthday party. The music could be loud and the food can be served as finger-food, a buffet, or a meal with more than one course.
Even though not that uncommon, having dinner outside would usually be with only close friends and relatives. You might be taken out by the birthday person to a restaurant, to the bar, or also to the cinema. Activities could be different, but you will always find a birthday cake at the end of the night. Desserts are usually Italian delicatessens, like the ones you can see listed in our article.
Singing Tanti Auguri a te!
Although the words are obviously different, the tune of the famous Happy Birthday song in Italian is identical to the English one. Guests always sing it when the cake is out and the birthday boy/girl has to blow their candles off: it’s definitely a lasting tradition! The lyrics aren’t quite a direct translation, but you can listen to it here and follow the same melody.
It goes like this: Tanti auguri a te, tanti auguri a te, tanti auguri a (sing name of the person), tanti auguri a te!
As in many other countries, when the song is over the birthday boy or girl needs to blow the candles on the cake and make a birthday wish. It is believed that you cannot tell it to anyone or it won’t come true!
Guests Must Bring Gifts
Bringing gifts is not exactly the rule, but still, it’s a spread way to show a matched affection to the birthday person that took care of the party. Presents are wrapped with great care and often opened before the party ends, so the host can thank everyone properly. And here’s where you can learn to understand when someone thanks you in Italian.
Even if the birthday boy or girl tells you not to bring anything, it’s always better not to come without a little gift for the host. No one would go empty-handed on any other special occasion! Birthdays are the perfect situations to demonstrate your love for the friend or the relative who’s throwing the party.
It’s also common to match your gift with a funny birthday card where you should write down a few words to wish a great birthday to the birthday boy or girl.
Besides, don’t forget that opening the presents in front of everyone at the party could result in embarrassing scenes! So you may want to buy something not too personal or to be ashamed of when shown in public.
When To Say Buon Compleanno
Wishing a happy birthday to somebody one or a few days in advance is considered to bring bad luck to the birthday person. Some people might also think it’s a bit rude.
So, be always sure to know exactly the date of your Italian friends’ birthday!
On the other hand, saying happy birthday in Italian when you’re a little late is easier to fix.
How?
You can just wish a happy belated birthday: Tanti auguri in ritardo!
Italian Birthday glossary
Finally, below are some useful Italian words and expressions concerning birthdays that you can easily use on those special occasions.
Italian
English
Torta di compleanno
Birthday cake
Candeline
Small candles
Festa di compleanno
Birthday party
Regalo di compleanno
Birthday gift / present
Invitati
Guests
Festeggiato / Festeggiata
Birthday boy / Birthday girl
Invito
Party invitation
Palloncini
Balloons
Brindisi di compleanno
Birthday toast
Biglietto di auguri
Birthday card
Festeggiare
To celebrate
Now that you learned how to wish a happy birthday in Italian, you’re officially ready to attend a real Italian birthday party. Or even to throw your own one!
By: Lucia Aiello
Lucia Aiello is one of the co-founders of LearnItalianGo. Born and raised in Italy, she is a passionate Italian teacher and language enthusiast.