Want to know how to say ‘happy birthday’ in Swedish? 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 Swedish, why not also sing the Swedish version of the happy birthday song!
Read on to learn more about this.
Table of Contents
How To Say ‘Happy Birthday’ In Swedish
To wish someone a happy birthday in Swedish, you can say:
| English | Swedish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Happy birthday | Grattis på födelsedagen | Gratis paw fuh-del-se-dagen |
This phrase is used to mean ‘happy birthday’ but literally means ‘congratulations on your birthday’.
To hear the pronunciation of this phrase, check out the below video:
Alternatively, you can also use some of these phrases:
| English | Swedish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Congratulations | Grattis | Gratis |
| Have the honour on your birthday | Ha den äran på födelsedagen | Ha den aaran paw fuh-del-se-dagen |
| Have the honour | Ha den äran | Ha den aaran |
| Heartfelt congratulations | Hjärtliga gratulationer | Yat-leega gratula-hooner |
| Heartfelt wishes | Hjärtliga lyckönskningar | Yat-leega lick-un-skningar |
‘Grattis’ is a short, informal way to wish someone a happy birthday and just means ‘congratulations’.
The phrases ‘have the honour on your birthday’ and ‘have the honour’ are popular but less common ways to wish someone a happy birthday. These are more formal than ‘grattis på födelsedagen’.
The phrases ‘heartfelt congratulations’ and ‘heartfelt wishes’ are formal phrases that are mainly used in birthday cards.
If you’re speaking to someone special then you’ll want to know how to say I love you in Swedish.
How To Sing Happy Birthday In Swedish
If you want to go the extra mile for your loved one or friend, try singing the happy birthday song in Swedish.
Check out the video below to hear the Swedish birthday song. I’ve also listed the lyrics below so you can sing along:
Here’s the lyrics so you can sing along:
“Ja, må han/hon leva,
Ja, må han/hon leva,
Ja, må han/hon leva uti hundrade år,
Javisst ska han/hon leva,
Javisst ska han/hon leva,
Javisst ska han/hon leva uti hundrade år”
This translates to:
“Yes, may he/she live,
Yes, may he/she live,
Yes, may he/she live to be 100 years old,
Yes, surely he/she will live,
Yes, surely he/she will live,
Yes, surely he/she will live to be 100 years old”
There is also a second verse of the song that is sung occasionally. Most Swedes just end after the first verse but sometimes will continue.
Here’s the second verse if you need it:
“Och när han/hon har levat
Och när han/hon har levat
Och när han/hon har levat uti hundrade år!
Ja, då ska han/hon skjutas.
Ja, då ska han/hon skjutas
Ja, då ska han/hon skjutas på en skottkärra fram!”
This translates to:
“And when he/she has lived
And when he/she has lived
And when he/she has lived for a hundred years!
Yes, then he/she will be wheeled
Yes, then he/she will be wheeled
Yes, then he/she will be wheeled away in a wheelbarrow!”
Swedish 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 some of these Swedish birthday traditions.
Hurra!
The birthday song is often followed by shouting the word ‘hurra’ 4 times. This is similar to how many other countries shout ‘hooray’ in English.
This usually starts with the phrase ‘Ett fyrfaldigt hon/han leve …’ then ‘Hurra! Hurra! Hurra! Hurra!’.
You can see this is the below video:
Big Birthdays
There are certain birthdays that are especially important in Sweden. Generally, any birthday that ends in a ‘0’ or ‘5’ is a big deal. The main ones are:
15 – this is when someone can legally drive a moped.
18 – this is when you’re now officially an adult. You can legally vote, drive and get married! You can also buy alcohol at bars/pubs (but not in a liquor store).
20 – this is when you can buy alcohol at a liquor store or ‘systembolaget’.
50 – this is a big milestone.
Birthday Breakfast
Birthday celebrations start early in Sweden. You’ll often be woken by ‘frukost på sängen’ which is breakfast in bed on your birthday. The family would usually prepare breakfast, sneak up to your room and enter the room singing the birthday song ‘ja må han/hon leva’.
Your family members will often also bring your presents too so you can open them in bed.
Cake
Like in many cultures, it’s traditional to have a birthday cake on your birthday. The main difference in Sweden is that you usually bring your own cake! It’s expected that the birthday girl/boy will provide the cake.
The traditional birthday cake in Sweden is called a Princess cake. This cake has green marzipan on the outside. It’s very delicious, consisting of whipped cream, sponge cake and pastry cream.
Thanks for reading this post on how to say ‘happy birthday’ in Swedish.
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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