Tanjoubi is the Japanese word for ‘birthday’, explained

What does “tanjoubi” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “tanjoubi” to mean ‘birthday’ in Japanese. Very simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain its related expressions which native speakers often use. My explanations would help Japanese learners to better understand how to say “birthday” in Japanese. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “tanjoubi”
• Tanjoubi in kanji
  • Example: how to say “birthday” in Japanese
• Tanjoubi omedetou: a Japanese phrase for ‘happy birthday’
• Otanjoubi: a Japanese polite expression for ‘birthday’
• Otanjoubi omedetou: a Japanese polite phrase for ‘happy birthday’
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “tanjoubi”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “tanjoubi”.

• tanjoubi – 誕生日 (たんじょうび) : a noun meaning ‘birthday’ in Japanese.

Again, but native speakers use this noun to mean ‘birthday’ in Japanese. The definition and meaning are very simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail.

Tanjoubi in kanji

The kanji expression of “tanjoubi” consists of the following two parts:

• tanjou – 誕生 (たんじょう) : a noun meaning ‘birth’, ‘origin’, or perhaps ‘creation’ in Japanese. So, this can refer to something newly born or the moment at which something is born.
• bi – 日 (び) : a noun meaning ‘day’ in Japanese. This can also work as a suffix to add the meaning of ‘day’ to its preceding word. This kanji can also be found in other words like “kinou“, “kyou“, and “ashita“.

From these two parts, we can understand that “tanjoubi” means the day when something is born. This literal interpretation seems to be completely in line with the meaning.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “tanjoubi” through the detailed check above.

Then, let me explain how to use “tanjoubi” through the example sentence below.

Example: how to say “birthday” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ashita – 明日 (あした) : a noun meaning ‘tomorrow’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “ashita” to make the subject in the sentence.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “tanjoubi” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “tanjoubi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “watashi no tanjoubi”, which means ‘my birthday’ in Japanese. When we want to say “birthday” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.

Tanjoubi omedetou: a Japanese phrase for ‘happy birthday’

Next, let me explain how to say “happy birthday” in Japanese.

• tanjoubi omedetou – 誕生日おめでとう (たんじょうびおめでとう) : a Japanese phrase for ‘happy birthday’.

Native speakers use this phrase to say “happy birthday” in Japanese. “Omedetou” added here is often used to say “congratulations” in Japanese. So, the phrase literally means ‘congratulations on the birthday’. Considering the fact that Japanese sentences often lack words referring to the speaker, listener, or others specifically, the meaning of this phrase can also be interpreted as “happy birthday to you”.

Otanjoubi: a Japanese polite expression for ‘birthday’

As I’ve explained, native speakers say “tanjoubi” to mean ‘birthday’ in Japanese. In formal situations, however, they often use a polite expression instead. Let me explain it as follows.

• otanjoubi – お誕生日 (おたんじょうび) : a Japanese polite expression for ‘birthday’.

Above are the definition and meaning of “otanjoubi”. “O” added here is a prefix which makes its following word polite. So, we can consider this as the polite version of “tanjoubi”. Actually, native speakers tend to use this polite version in formal situations.

By the way, the definition of “formal situations” can vary from person to person. I think, however, that we should try to use the polite version when we refer to the birthday of someone whom we respect.

Otanjoubi omedetou: a Japanese polite phrase for ‘happy birthday’

Lastly, let me explain how to say “happy birthday” politely in Japanese.

• otanjoubi omedetou – お誕生日おめでとう (おたんじょうびおめでとう) : a Japanese polite phrase for ‘happy birthday’.

Above are the definition and meaning of “otanjoubi omedetou”. We can consider it as the polite version of “tanjoubi omedetou”. Native speakers actually tend to use this to say “happy birthday” politely in Japanese.

To tell the truth, this is not the most polite version. Still, it can work well in many situations to express our politeness.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “tanjoubi” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained its related expressions which native speakers often use. Let me summarize them as follows.

• tanjoubi – 誕生日 (たんじょうび) : a noun meaning ‘birthday’ in Japanese. These kanji literally mean ‘the day when something is born’. This concept seems to be completely in line with the meaning. When we want to say “birthday” in Japanese, this is a very good option.
• tanjoubi omedetou – 誕生日おめでとう (たんじょうびおめでとう) : a Japanese phrase for ‘happy birthday’. This phrase literally means ‘congratulations on the birthday’, but can be translated into English as ‘happy birthday’ or ‘happy birthday to you’.
• otanjoubi – お誕生日 (おたんじょうび) : a Japanese polite expression for ‘birthday’. “O” added here is a prefix which makes its following word polite. So, this can help us to say “birthday” politely in Japanese.
• otanjoubi omedetou – お誕生日おめでとう (おたんじょうびおめでとう) : a Japanese polite phrase for ‘happy birthday’.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.