Key Facts
- Korean: 생일, Revised Romanization saengil
- Part of speech: noun; origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 生日 (生 birth + 日 day)
- Register: Neutral; honorific form is 생신 for elders.
- Theme page: holiday vocabulary
Birthday in Korean: What 생일 Means and When to Use It
생일 has one sense, the anniversary of your birth. It is neutral, and for parents, grandparents and other elders Korean switches to the honorific noun 생신.
How to Pronounce 생일
The Revised Romanization is saengil: two syllables, saeng-il. The second syllable starts with a silent ㅇ, so the ng of 생 runs straight into the vowel of 일. Before a vowel the final ㄹ becomes a light flap, as in 생일이에요 [saeng-i-ri-e-yo].
Examples with 생일
오늘은 제 생일이에요.
oneureun je saengirieyo.
Today is my birthday.
제 (my) is the humble first-person possessive. The sentence ends with 이에요, the copula, so you are stating 'today is my birthday'.
생일 축하해요!
saengil chukahaeyo!
Happy birthday!
The standard greeting, literally "I congratulate your birthday". 축하해요 is the polite form of 축하하다, "to congratulate".
친구의 생일 선물을 샀어요.
chinguui saengil seonmureul sasseoyo.
I bought a birthday present for my friend.
Here 의 links a friend to the birthday, and 선물 (present) follows it. Notice that 생일 works like a modifier, which is how 생일 파티 and 생일 케이크 are built.
Collocations with 생일
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 생일 축하하다 | congratulate on a birthday |
| 생일 선물 | birthday present |
| 생일 파티 | birthday party |
생일 is the first half of many compounds: 생일 선물 (birthday present), 생일 파티 (birthday party) and 생일 케이크 (birthday cake). The congratulation verb is 축하하다.
Origin and Background
The word is Sino-Korean: 生日 combines 生 (birth) and 日 (day), which is simply 'birth day'. That makes 生 a handy root to look for in other words.
Koreans traditionally eat seaweed soup (미역국) on their birthday.
A Common Mistake with 생일
Learners use 생일 for everyone, including grandparents.
Wrong: 생일 for an elder's birthday, such as a grandparent's
Correct: 생신, with the honorific copula: 생신이세요
Keep 생일 for yourself, friends and younger people.
생일 Compared with 생신
The key pair is 생일 and 생신, plus the compound 생일 케이크, which names the cake and not the day.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 생일 | birthday | The word this page covers. |
| 생신 | honorific birthday | honorific birthday (for elders) |
| 생일 케이크 | birthday cake | birthday cake |
생신 is the same day seen through respect: use it for parents, grandparents and other elders. 생일 케이크 is simply the compound for a birthday cake, built the same way as 생일 선물.
Quick Recall for 생일
- Today is my birthday. (오늘은 제 생일이에요.)
- Happy birthday! (생일 축하해요!)
- I bought a birthday present for my friend. (친구의 생일 선물을 샀어요.)
Finding out a Classmate's Birthday
Two classmates are filling in a shared calendar. They are friendly but still use polite 요 endings.
Classmate A
생일이 언제예요?
Saengiri eonjeyeyo?
When is your birthday?
Classmate B
다음 주 토요일이에요.
Daeum ju toyoirieyo.
It’s next Saturday.
Classmate A
생일 파티를 해요?
Saengil patireul haeyo?
Are you having a birthday party?
Classmate B
네, 친구들하고 저녁을 먹어요.
Ne, chingudeulhago jeonyeogeul meogeoyo.
Yes, I’m having dinner with friends.
생일이 언제예요 asks for the date. 언제 means “when”, so the reply can be a month and day, or a relative date such as 내일, “tomorrow”. 다음 주 is “next week”. In 다음 주 토요일, the larger time unit comes before the weekday, giving “Saturday next week”.
Birthday Greetings for Different Relationships
생일 축하해 is the casual greeting for a close friend or someone younger when casual speech is already established. 생일 축하해요 is polite and conversational. 생일 축하합니다 uses a more formal polite ending and also appears in the birthday song. All three congratulate the person; the ending changes the relationship and tone.
For an elder, 생신 축하드려요 is a respectful greeting. 생신 replaces the birthday noun, while 축하드려요 adds respect to the congratulation. If you are talking about your own birthday, keep 생일. Using 생신 for yourself would sound as though you were giving yourself the respect normally directed toward someone else.
You may see 생축 in a short message between friends. It takes the first syllable of 생일 and 축하, making a very casual abbreviation of “happy birthday”. It works as recognition vocabulary for chats, but the full greeting is warmer and clearer when you are unsure of the relationship. Adding 요 to a clipped message does not replace choosing suitable wording.
Celebrating, Remembering and Missing the Day
생일을 챙기다 means to remember or mark someone's birthday, often by sending a message, giving a gift or arranging a meal. 챙기다 suggests taking care of the occasion. It does not always imply an expensive present or a large party. A simple greeting can be part of 챙기다 too.
생일상을 차리다 means to prepare a birthday meal or table of food. 상 refers to the table or meal spread, so the phrase concerns the food prepared for the celebration. 생일 파티를 하다 means to have a birthday party. A birthday meal at home can be special without being described as a party.
생일날 means “on the birthday” or “the birthday itself”. You may hear plans introduced with this word even though 일 already means “day” within 생일. It is an established everyday combination. A calendar reminder might simply show 생일 and the person's name, while a gift message is more likely to include the congratulation phrase.
Words for Arranging the Celebration
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 초 | candle | In a cake scene, this is a candle; elsewhere 초 can mean a second of time. |
| 케이크 | cake | 생일 케이크 specifies a birthday cake. |
| 선물 | present | The item you give, distinct from the celebration itself. |
| 미역국 | seaweed soup | The traditional birthday food mentioned above. |
The holiday vocabulary lesson compares special occasions and celebration words. A birthday belongs to an individual person's calendar; it does not by itself make the day a public holiday.
Quick Self-Test
- Which birthday noun do you use for yourself: 생일 or 생신?
- Does 생일을 챙기다 always mean buying a present?
- What does 생축 abbreviate?
Show answers
- 생일.
- No. It can include remembering the day with a message or a meal.
- 생일 축하, an informal birthday congratulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say Happy Birthday in Korean?
Use 생일 축하해요! It is the second example on this page, and 축하하다 means to congratulate.
What Do I Say for an Elder's Birthday?
Use 생신 instead of 생일, and pair it with the honorific form 생신이세요.
What Do Koreans Eat on a Birthday?
Seaweed soup, 미역국, is the traditional birthday dish.
How Do I Say Birthday Present?
생일 선물. The third example sentence uses it with a possessive: 친구의 생일 선물.
Related Words and Next Steps
- Browse the full set of holiday vocabulary for neighbours of 생일.
- Return to the Korean words A to Z index.
- Related page: Children's Day in Korean.
- Add 생일 to your vocabulary flashcard decks.