How to Congratulate Someone on Their Birthday in Polish?

We've already covered how to wish someone happy holidays in Polish. But Christmas and New Year are still 10 months away, while your friends' and acquaintances' birthdays can come at any time of year.

How do you congratulate someone on their birthday or name day in Polish? What can you wish someone on their name day? This article covers the essential phrases and short birthday greetings in Polish.

What You Should Know About Celebrating Birthdays in Poland

Let's start with some interesting facts about birthdays that might surprise you in Poland. 1. Name days (imieniny) are considered by many Poles to be just as important — or even more important — than birthdays. By the way, if your name is Martin, your name day will be celebrated by the whole country alongside Poland's Independence Day on 11 November. If your name is Barbara, know that your Name Day falls on 4 December — Barbórka, the Miners' Festival.

1. The traditional Ukrainian way of celebrating birthdays differs somewhat from how Poles celebrate. At any rate, a grand feast with a dozen salads, a main course, and side dishes is not the norm in Poland. A common format is for invited guests to bring something to the table — and not just alcohol or sweets.
2. You might be surprised to learn that the traditional song "Sto lat" is not sung only to birthday celebrants. You can hear it at weddings, anniversaries, and on other occasions that Poles consider festive. So it's worth learning the lyrics — you can start with these verses:

Sto lat, sto lat, niech żyją, żyją nam

Sto lat, sto lat, niech żyją, żyją nam

Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz niech żyją, żyją nam

Niech żyją nam!

Niech im gwiazdka pomyślności

nigdy nie zagaśnie,

nigdy nie zagaśnie,

a w tym nowym, wspólnym życiu

świeci coraz jaśniej,

a w tym nowym, wspólnym życiu

świeci coraz jaśniej!!!

How to Wish Poles a Happy Birthday

You've probably already realised that you can wish someone a happy birthday in Polish simply with the phrase "Sto lat" (it's the Polish equivalent of the Ukrainian "Многая літа" / "May you live a hundred years"). If you say it with energy and enthusiasm, no one will doubt your sincerity. That said, this is, so to speak, the beginner level.

We've put together a vocabulary of expressions that will come in handy when congratulating someone on their birthday or name day in Polish.

So, the Polish word for birthday is urodziny. On someone's birthday in Poland, you'll receive pozdrowienia — greetings — or even serdeczne pozdrowienia — heartfelt greetings. "I greet you" in Polish is Pozdrawiam. The classic "all the best" wish is wszystkiego najlepszego. If you want to wish someone something, start with the words "życzę Ci…", meaning "I wish you…". Another useful expression: "on the occasion of" — "z okazji". For example, here is how "all the best on the occasion of your birthday" sounds: Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin.

What else can you wish someone in Polish on their birthday? Of course, wish them happiness — Życzę Ci, abyś zawsze była/był szczęśliwa/y! A happy and joyful day — Życzę Ci, żeby dzisiejszy dzień był szczęśliwy i radosny! Also the fulfilment of dreams — Realizacji zamierzonych planów! or Spełnienia wszystkich najskrytszych marzeń! All the best, health, and love — Wszystkiego najlepszego, zdrowia, szczęścia i miłości. Success at work — Sukcesów w pracy. Prosperity — Pomyślności. Smiles — Uśmiechu. Joy and satisfaction — Radości i satysfakcji. Lots of hugs — Moc urodzinowych uścisków. Lots of presents — Mnóstwa prezentów. A great year ahead — Niech nadchodzący rok będzie pomyślny. You can also say the familiar wish "stay as wonderful as you are" — życzę Ci, abyś pozostała tak wspaniałą osobą jaką jesteś! And at the festive table, you can propose a toast to the birthday person — Wznieśmy toast za dzisiejszego jubilata!

Want to learn the language faster? Check out these useful tips for learning Polish.