buon compleanno
happy birthday
Intermediate Phrase
🔊
Pronunciation
/ˌbwɔn kom.ple.ˈan.no/
💡
Cultural Note
Italian birthday celebrations are warm and food-centric. The birthday song 'Tanti auguri a te' is sung to the same melody as 'Happy Birthday.' Traditionally, the birthday person treats others (pays for dinner or brings cake to the office), which is the opposite of Anglo-Saxon custom. Forgetting a friend's birthday in Italy is a serious social gaffe.
📝 Example Sentences
Buon compleanno! Quanti anni compi?
Happy birthday! How old are you turning?
Tanti auguri di buon compleanno, nonna!
Happy birthday wishes, grandma!
Buon compleanno, amore! Ti ho comprato un regalo.
Happy birthday, love! I bought you a present.