Happy Birthday Songs in Italian - How To Sing Happy Birthday In The Italian Language
Birthdays (compleanno) are special occasions that are made complete by a combination of several things. From the birthday cake (torta di compleanno) and the presents (regali di compleanno) to wishing the birthday girl or boy the best wishes, all these things sum up to a grand celebration. However, the one thing that brings everything together is a cheerful song.
There are several ways to sing “Happy Birthday” in Italian. To choose which version works best for you, we have analyzed the two common phrases and some common wishes of cheer that you can incorporate.
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Singing Happy Birthday in Italian
Buon compleanno a te,
buon compleanno a te,
buon compleanno nome,
buon compleanno a te!
Tanti auguri a te – A lot of wishes to you
This phrase is sung in repetition and creates a form of rhythm. After singing it several times, you then insert the name of the person who the good wishes are directed to. This part of the song is mostly vague and impersonal.
Here you can listen to this version.
Buon compleanno a te – Happy birthday to you
This is the direct translation from the famous English song. Thus, this phrase is repeated twice, and the name is inserted in the third line. It isn’t as common as the first version of the song.
How to Translate “Let’s Sing”
- Cantiamo “Buon compleanno” – Let’s sing “Happy Birthday”
This prompt is a must-learn, especially if you are in charge of any parties where speaking Italian is necessary. It captures the attention of people and rallies them towards participating. Also, it is non-invasive; it is polite and can be used in formal and informal spaces.
A Longer Version of the Italian Song
Ecco la torta con tante candeline,
una ogni anno per il suo compleanno.
Ecco la torta di crema e cioccolato,
scritto sta il suo nome col zucchero filato.
Tanti auguri a te,
Tanti auguri a te,
Tanti auguri caro/cara nome,
Tanti auguri a te!
Ecco che arriva la torta con molte candele. – Here comes the cake with many candles.
Some of the words added to the song are descriptions of the happenings. You can change the last part of the phrase from many candles to mentioning the actual number that is present on the cake.
However, that is only appropriate when there is mutual familiarity with the birthday person (persona di compleanno). Mentioning somebody’s age in the song is limited to informal settings.
Ed è una torta al cioccolato. – And it is a chocolate cake.
Mentioning the ingredients is meant to get people excited about sharing the cake. A description of its best qualities flares up interest and anticipation. You can use vaniglia for vanilla, carota for carrot, and formaggio for cheese.
Una candela per ogni anno della sua vita – One candle for every year of his life
This is a pathway statement that leads to the question about what age one is turning. The next statement is a question on the same. Quanti anni hai adesso? is Italian for how old you are now.
Buon compleanno, cara – Happy birthday, dear
The use of the term of endearment is directed towards showing proximity towards the birthday person. This does not have to mean a friendship; it can be a working relationship. The personal nature of the ceremony drives the need to have the word “dear” in the song.
Che tu possa avere molti di più – May you have many more
In summation of all the wishes, it is vital to express a desire to celebrate more birthdays. This is an expression of cheer and well wishes which acts as a closing line for the song.
Translation (of first four lines)
Here is the cake with many candles,
one for every year for his birthday.
Here is the cream pie and chocolate,
his name is written with cotton candy.
10+ Essential Phrases Related to Birthdays
Let’s revise some of the phrases that come to mind when talking about celebrating birthdays.
- Quanti anni hai? – How old are you?
- Oggi è il mio compleanno. – Today is my birthday.
- Fare gli auguri. – To give someone wishes.
- Festeggiamo. – Let’s celebrate.
- Amo le feste a sorpresa. – I love surprise parties.
- È ora di far festa! – Party time!
- Dobbiamo comprare un regalo a Max. – We need to buy a present for Max.
- Ho avuto troppo da berre. – I’ve had too much to drink.
- Dov’è la torta? – Where is the cake?
- Vorrei invitarti a cena. – I would like to invite you to dinner.
- Spegni le candele. – Blow out the candles.
Don’t forget to look at our Italian Frequency Dictionary series. You’ll find only practical vocabulary there. Learning 10,000 most common words means you will be able to understand 95% of all daily spoken Italian. The example sentences are a great reading practice, too!
Conclusion
Listening to songs is a great way to learn a foreign language. You can pick up a lot of useful idioms and other phrases while enjoying music. Whether you decide to listen to Italian versions of traditional songs, such as “Happy Birthday” or Christmas carols, or you dive into Italian pop music, you can expand your vocabulary fast and effectively.