How to say happy birthday in Serbian
Срећан рођендан
Say it like this: SREH-chahn ROH-jen-dahn
To say happy birthday in Serbian, you say "Срећан рођендан", which is "Srećan rođendan" in Latin letters. Serbian is written in both alphabets, so you can use either. Here is how to say it, other friendly ways to send your wishes, and the song.
"Срећан" (srećan) means happy, and "рођендан" (rođendan) means birthday. It joins "рођен" (born) and "дан" (day).
Other ways to say happy birthday in Serbian
- Све најбоље! (Sve najbolje!)Say it like this: sveh NAI-boh-lyehMeans "all the best!". Short and warm, great for friends and texts.
- Срећан ти рођендан (Srećan ti rođendan)Say it like this: SREH-chahn tee ROH-jen-dahnMeans "happy birthday to you". Friendly and personal.
- Честитам рођендан (Čestitam rođendan)Say it like this: CHEH-stee-tahm ROH-jen-dahnMeans "I congratulate you on your birthday". A little more formal, nice in a card.
- Живео! / Живела! (Živeo! / Živela!)Say it like this: ZHEE-veh-oh / ZHEE-veh-lahMeans "long may you live!". Use "Živeo" for a man and "Živela" for a woman. Also said as a toast.
- Много среће и здравља (Mnogo sreće i zdravlja)Say it like this: MNOH-goh SREH-cheh ee ZDRAHV-lyahMeans "lots of happiness and health". People often add it after the main greeting.
- Сретан рођендан (Sretan rođendan)Say it like this: SREH-tahn ROH-jen-dahnAnother form of the same wish. It is the usual form in Bosnian and Croatian, and some Serbian speakers use it too.
The Happy Birthday song in Serbian
Срећан рођендан,
срећан рођендан,
срећан рођендан, [name],
срећан рођендан.
This is sung to the usual Happy Birthday tune. Many people in Serbia also sing the English version.
Birthday customs
- In Serbia, many families celebrate "slava", the yearly feast day of the family's patron saint. For many it is a bigger celebration than a birthday.
- Serbian is written in two alphabets, Cyrillic and Latin. You will see both on signs, in shops and in birthday cards.
A quick tip
If you write in Latin letters, keep the little marks over "ć" and the line through "đ". They show the "ch" and "j" sounds. If you cannot type them, "Srecan rodjendan" is a common way to write it on a phone.
Questions people ask
Should I write it in Cyrillic or Latin letters?
Both are correct. Cyrillic is the official script, but Latin letters are very common online and in texts.
How do you say happy birthday in Serbian to a friend?
Say "Srećan rođendan!" or just "Sve najbolje!". Both feel warm and natural.
What do you say back?
Say "Хвала!" (Hvala, HVAH-lah), which means thank you. To be extra warm, say "Хвала пуно!" (Hvala puno).
Wish someone happy birthday in Serbian
Type their name, and we will turn it into a birthday surprise in Serbian: a gift box to open, confetti, their name in gold and the birthday song. Then send it by WhatsApp, text or email. It is free.