Want to know how to say ‘happy birthday’ in Lakota Sioux? 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 Lakota, why not also sing the Lakota version of the happy birthday song!
Read on to learn more about this.
Table of Contents
How To Say ‘Happy Birthday’ In Lakota Sioux
To wish someone a happy birthday in Lakota, you can say:
| English | Lakota |
|---|---|
| Happy birthday | Nitȟá-aƞpétu wa šté |
This is pronounced ‘nee-ta an-pay-tu wash-teh’.
Lakota Birthday Wishes & Phrases
Alternatively, you can also use some of these phrases:
| English | Lakota |
|---|---|
| Have a nice day (said to a male) | Aŋpétu wašté yuhá yo |
| Have a nice day (said to a female) | Aŋpétu wašté yuhá ye |
If you’re speaking to someone special then you’ll want to know how to say I love you in Lakota.
How To Sing Happy Birthday In Lakota
If you want to go the extra mile for your loved one or friend, try singing the happy birthday song in Lakota. You’ll be happy to know it’s the same tune as the English version, they just sing it in Lakota.
Check out this page to hear the Lakota Sioux birthday song (the birthday song is the third sound clip). I’ve listed the lyrics below so you can sing along.
Here’s the lyrics so you can sing along:
“Nitȟá-aƞpétu wa šté,
Nitȟá-aƞpétu wa šté,
Nitȟá-aƞpétu wa šté,
Nitȟá-aƞpétu wa šté”
This translates to:
“Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday!”
Lakota 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 Lakota birthday tradition.
Winters
Traditionally in Lakota culture, a person’s age is not determined by their birthday but by how many winters they have survived.
Many years ago and to some extent now, winter months were extremely difficult to survive in the Northern Plains. Surviving a winter was a huge deal and that made you a year older.
Interestingly, the way that you ask ‘how old are you?’ in Lakota literally translates to ‘how many winters are you?’. Your response would be ‘I am 20 winters’ (or however many winters you’ve lived).
Today many Lakota people do celebrate actual birthdays the way most people do around the world.
Thanks for reading this post on how to say ‘happy birthday’ in Lakota.
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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