happy birthday

Arabic translation: عيد ميلاد سعيد

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:happy birthday
Arabic translation:عيد ميلاد سعيد
Entered by: Fuad Yahya

00:31 Apr 13, 2003
English to Arabic translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: happy birthday
Happy birthday to you!
Gene
Birthdays are not traditionally celebrated, but. . .
Explanation:
Contemporary Arabs have been known to don funny hats, toot noise makers, blow out candles, eat cake, open presents, and sing "Happy Birthday to You" (in English, mind you). You can immagine how the song sounds with the P in "happy" turned to B. My aunt Zaynab thinks the expression actually say, "HABEEBATI TOO TOO." When I asked her what "TTO TOO" meant, she said, "Funny you ask. I have meant to ask you the same question."

The AOL Time-Warner copyrighted song aside, birthday felicitations follow the same generic format as all other felicitations, with regional variations:

KULL `AM WA ANTUM BI KHAYR

KULL SANA WINTA TAYYIB (or WINTI TAYYIBA for females)

`EED SA`EED

AJMAL AL-A`YAD

. . . and so on. They all have the same basic meaning of "many happy returns."

A birthday-specific felciatation would sound something like:

`EED MEELAD SA'EED

. . . which is not very different from "Merry Christmas." To distinguish Christmas, the word SA`EED ("happy") is replaced with MAJEED ("glorious").

The idea of a person's birthday being something significant to remember, let alone celebrate, is so novel that a big percentage of Arabs do not know their own date of birth. The percentage varies regionally and generationally.

If you want any of the above expressions written out in Arabic script, let us know, assuming you area able to display Arabic on your system.


Fuad
Selected response from:

Fuad Yahya
Grading comment
I appreciate your humor and good will to help
me. Kassar al-lah hairak!
(Sorry for incorrect spelling).

Gene


4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +5Birthdays are not traditionally celebrated, but. . .
Fuad Yahya
5Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin!
lafresita (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin!


Explanation:
Chyba tak

lafresita (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Polish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Birthdays are not traditionally celebrated, but. . .


Explanation:
Contemporary Arabs have been known to don funny hats, toot noise makers, blow out candles, eat cake, open presents, and sing "Happy Birthday to You" (in English, mind you). You can immagine how the song sounds with the P in "happy" turned to B. My aunt Zaynab thinks the expression actually say, "HABEEBATI TOO TOO." When I asked her what "TTO TOO" meant, she said, "Funny you ask. I have meant to ask you the same question."

The AOL Time-Warner copyrighted song aside, birthday felicitations follow the same generic format as all other felicitations, with regional variations:

KULL `AM WA ANTUM BI KHAYR

KULL SANA WINTA TAYYIB (or WINTI TAYYIBA for females)

`EED SA`EED

AJMAL AL-A`YAD

. . . and so on. They all have the same basic meaning of "many happy returns."

A birthday-specific felciatation would sound something like:

`EED MEELAD SA'EED

. . . which is not very different from "Merry Christmas." To distinguish Christmas, the word SA`EED ("happy") is replaced with MAJEED ("glorious").

The idea of a person's birthday being something significant to remember, let alone celebrate, is so novel that a big percentage of Arabs do not know their own date of birth. The percentage varies regionally and generationally.

If you want any of the above expressions written out in Arabic script, let us know, assuming you area able to display Arabic on your system.


Fuad

Fuad Yahya
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 40
Grading comment
I appreciate your humor and good will to help
me. Kassar al-lah hairak!
(Sorry for incorrect spelling).

Gene


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jamal Mavrikios
1 hr

agree  Shazly
7 hrs

agree  Saleh Ayyub
9 hrs

agree  Mariam: Perfect explanation for different options!
21 hrs

agree  AhmedAMS
227 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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