Phrase pack: Celebrations

How to Say Happy Birthday in Punjabi (with Audio)

ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ

janam din mubaarak — happy birthday

Word for word: "birth day, blessed"

Your child can read this by themselves after Level 3 · Vaak ਵਾਕ (Sentences). Until then, learn it by ear together.

Other ways to say it

  • ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ

    janam din deeaan lakkh lakkh vadhaaeeaan — a hundred thousand birthday congratulations

    warmer, for a card or a big celebration

  • ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ

    janam din deeaan vadhaaeeaan — birthday congratulations

    everyday

  • ਜੁਗ ਜੁਗ ਜੀਓ

    jug jug jeeo — may you live long

    an elder's blessing to the birthday child

Word by word

How to reply

  • ਧੰਨਵਾਦ

    dhannvaad — thank you

  • ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ

    tuhaadaa bahut dhannvaad — thank you very much

Practise it together

Read it as parent and child, then swap parts. Tap any line to hear it.

  1. Parent

    ਉੱਠ ਜਾ! ਅੱਜ ਕਿਹਦਾ ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਹੈ?

    utth jaa! ajj kihdaa janam din hai?

    Wake up! Whose birthday is it today?

  2. Child

    ਮੇਰਾ!

    meraa!

    Mine!

  3. Parent

    ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ, ਮੇਰੇ ਪੁੱਤ!

    janam din mubaarak, mere putt!

    Happy birthday, my child!

  4. Child

    ਧੰਨਵਾਦ, ਮੰਮੀ!

    dhannvaad, mummy!

    Thank you, Mum!

Try it tonight

Pick the next birthday in the family — a cousin, a grandparent — and have your child call or video them and say ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ. Colour one of our Punjabi birthday cards together first.

Keep going

Why it matters

Many Sikh families begin a birthday with Ardas — thanking Waheguru for another year — and some visit the gurdwara. ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ (lakh lakh vadhaaiyaan, 'a hundred thousand congratulations') is the same warm greeting families use on Gurpurabs and Vaisakhi.

Questions parents ask

How do you say happy birthday in Punjabi?
Say ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ (janam din mubaarak). For something warmer, say ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਦੀਆਂ ਲੱਖ ਲੱਖ ਵਧਾਈਆਂ.
How do you write happy birthday in Punjabi on a card?
Write ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ — note ਜਨਮ ਦਿਨ is written as two words.
How do you reply to happy birthday in Punjabi?
Say ਧੰਨਵਾਦ (dhannvaad), or ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ to an elder.

More everyday phrases

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