happy birthday (polite)
Polite teineigo expression used to wish someone a happy birthday. Suitable for acquaintances, colleagues, or in formal contexts. For close friends or family, the shorter お誕生日おめでとう is more common.
部長、お誕生日おめでとうございます。
Happy birthday, department manager.
お誕生日おめでとうございます。素敵な一年になりますように。
Happy birthday. I hope you have a wonderful year ahead.
お誕生日おめでとうございます is the polite, teineigo form used with acquaintances or in formal settings, while お誕生日おめでとう is the casual version used with close friends and family.
A polite phrase composed of the honorific prefix お, the noun 誕生日 (birthday), the congratulatory expression おめでとう, and the polite copula ございます.