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How To Say ‘Happy Birthday’ In Indonesian

Want to know how to say ‘happy birthday’ in Indonesian? You’re in the right place. 

It’s always nice to wish someone a happy birthday on their special day but why not do it in a language that means something to them.

As well as wishing your loved one a happy birthday in Indonesian, why not also sing the Indonesian version of the happy birthday song! Read on to learn more about this.

How To Say ‘Happy Birthday’ In Indonesian

To wish someone a happy birthday in Indonesian, you can say:

Happy birthdaySelamat ulang tahun

You will also often hear Indonesian people add the word ‘ya’ onto the end of this sentence. You would add ‘ya’ when saying this to a friend.

Alternatively, you can also use some of these phrases:

May your life be longSemoga panjang umur
May your wishes be grantedSemoga permohonanmu terkabulkan
I wish that you stay healthySemoga sehat selalu
Happy birthday (more informal)Met ulang tahun
Happy birthday (more informal)Met ultah
CongratulationsSelamat

The first 3 phrases listed here are mostly used in birthday cards. You wouldn’t really hear people saying these as often.

To hear the pronunciation of these phrases, check out the below video. The pronunciations start at 0:34.

If you’re speaking to someone special then you’ll want to know how to say I love you in Indonesian

How To Sing Happy Birthday In Indonesian

If you want to go the extra mile for your loved one or friend, try singing the happy birthday song in Indonesian. There are actually 2 different birthday songs used in Indonesia. 

The first is called ‘Panjang umurnya’. 

Check out the video below to hear the Indonesian birthday song. I’ve listed the lyrics below so you can sing along.

Here’s the lyrics so you can sing along:

“Panjang umurnya
Panjang umurnya
Panjang umurnya

Serta mulia
Serta mulia
Serta mulia”

This translates to:

“Long is his/her age
Long is his/her age
Long is his/her age

And treasured
And treasured
And treasured.”

The second song can be heard in this video. The lyrics are also listed below.

Here’s the lyrics so you can sing along:

“Selamat ulang tahun kami ucapkan
Semoga panjang umur kami kan doakan
Selamat sejahtera sehat sentosa
Selamat panjang umur dan bahagia

This translates to:

Happy Birthday we say
A long life we pray
Happy well being and good health
A long life and happiness!”

Indonesian Birthday Traditions

Birthday traditions can be very important to many people on their birthdays. To make your loved one feel extra special you can also try this Indonesian birthday tradition.

One interesting Indonesian birthday tradition is where family/friends throw things at the birthday person – this could be water, flour, eggs amongst other things. Whilst this might sound cruel, it’s all in good spirits and just a bit of fun. 

Other than this, Indonesian people tend to celebrate birthdays like many other countries do – parties, family, cake, cards and gifts. 


Thanks for reading this post on how to say ‘happy birthday’ in Indonesian. 

It’s a great idea to make the effort to learn how to say this in someone’s native language or a language that means something to them.

Your loved one or friend will be so impressed!

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