Happy birthday in Irish
Lá breithe sona duit
In Irish, the phrase to know first is "Lá breithe sona duit!" (Happy birthday! (to one person)). The others are below, each with a note on when to use it.
The usual Irish birthday wish is Lá breithe sona duit, "happy birthday to you". Below are the greetings, the short forms for a card, how to reply, and the words for the card and the party.
Greetings
Lá breithe sona duit!
Happy birthday! (to one person)
The usual wish. Wiktionary also gives the spelling dhuit.
Go maire tú an lá!
Happy birthday! (to one person)
Literally "may you live the day".
Lá breithe maith agat!
Happy birthday! (to one person)
Literally "a good birthday at you".
Replies
Go raibh maith agat!
Thank you! (to one person)
Literally "may you have goodness".
Go raibh maith agaibh!
Thank you! (to more than one person)
When a group sings to you.
For cards and messages
Lá breithe sona!
Happy birthday!
The short form for a card, with no "to you".
Breithlá sona!
Happy birthday!
The same wish with the one-word breithlá.
Le gach dea-ghuí
With best wishes
A sign-off above your name.
Useful words
cárta lá breithe
birthday card
Also cárta breithlae.
cóisir lá breithe
birthday party
Cóisir means party.
About the words
Irish has two words for a birthday: lá breithe, "day of birth", and the one-word breithlá. Sona means happy or lucky. Lá is a masculine noun, so sona stays unchanged after it, while the feminine Nollaig gives Nollaig shona. Go maire tú an lá is another birthday wish, built on the verb mair, "live, last".
Common questions
How do you say happy birthday in Irish?
Lá breithe sona duit to one person. On a card, Lá breithe sona! or Breithlá sona!
Why is it sona and not shona?
Lá is masculine, so sona does not change after it. After a feminine noun such as Nollaig it becomes shona.
How do I reply?
Say Go raibh maith agat, "thank you", or Go raibh maith agaibh to a group.
Happy birthday in the other Celtic languages
Further reading
Go beyond the phrases
blas. teaches Irish with spaced repetition, vocabulary, mutations, grammar, reading, and conversation. Not just for Happy birthday, but for life. Free to start.
Start learning IrishIrish phrases for the year ahead
Irish phrases for everyday occasions
Sources
Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (teanglann.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (teanglann.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (teanglann.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- blas. course data
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
Credit: Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.