Happy Birthday

Japanese translation: お誕生日おめでとうございます。 // (お)たんじょうびおめでとう.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Happy Birthday
Japanese translation:お誕生日おめでとうございます。 // (お)たんじょうびおめでとう.
Entered by: Will Matter

13:59 Aug 21, 2008
English to Japanese translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
English term or phrase: Happy Birthday
When writing "Happy Birthday" in Japanese to a grandson, should it be written vertical or horizontal?
C.W. Etherton
お誕生日おめでとうございます。
Explanation:
Here is the entire translation (one option, anyhow) for "Happy Birthday". It's pronounced "O-tanjoobi omedetoo gozaimasu" and can be written EITHER vertically or horizontally. HTH.

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-08-21 15:45:11 GMT)
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Here are some of the reasons why I say that this expression can be written either vertically OR horizontally. From both a practical and an aesthetic point of view there are various factors to be considered. For example, one factor to be considered is what type of object you'd like to write this upon. For example, if the object in question was a banner that was to be hung horizontally then the horizontal format would probably be most appropriate. The same thing would apply for something hung vertically. If you wanted to write this on a card or envelope the dimensions of the object itself would help to determine proper placement. Historically, Japanese was written in a vertical format with the reader reading from right to left across the page but in the modern era both the "vertical" i.e. reading right to left, up and down the page and the "horizontal" i.e. reading left to right across the page formats are widely used and both are completely understood. In the end, both ways of writing are acceptable, it simply depends upon the circumstances, the objects in question and your individual needs. I hope that this helps you to decide.
Selected response from:

Will Matter
United States
Local time: 08:48
Grading comment
Thank you very much
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2お誕生日おめでとうございます。
Will Matter
3 +1(お)たんじょうびおめでとう
yumom


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
お誕生日おめでとうございます。


Explanation:
Here is the entire translation (one option, anyhow) for "Happy Birthday". It's pronounced "O-tanjoobi omedetoo gozaimasu" and can be written EITHER vertically or horizontally. HTH.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-08-21 15:45:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here are some of the reasons why I say that this expression can be written either vertically OR horizontally. From both a practical and an aesthetic point of view there are various factors to be considered. For example, one factor to be considered is what type of object you'd like to write this upon. For example, if the object in question was a banner that was to be hung horizontally then the horizontal format would probably be most appropriate. The same thing would apply for something hung vertically. If you wanted to write this on a card or envelope the dimensions of the object itself would help to determine proper placement. Historically, Japanese was written in a vertical format with the reader reading from right to left across the page but in the modern era both the "vertical" i.e. reading right to left, up and down the page and the "horizontal" i.e. reading left to right across the page formats are widely used and both are completely understood. In the end, both ways of writing are acceptable, it simply depends upon the circumstances, the objects in question and your individual needs. I hope that this helps you to decide.

Will Matter
United States
Local time: 08:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Thank you very much

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  keyaki
36 mins
  -> Danke. :0)

agree  Manish Vadehra
10 hrs
  -> Thank you.

neutral  tappi_k: it sure is a correct translation of 'happy birthday' but I can't personally imagine my grandparents writing to me 'ございます’. and depending on the grandson's age, 誕生日 may be better written in Hiragana.
11 hrs
  -> Thank you.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
happy birthday
(お)たんじょうびおめでとう


Explanation:
To grandson, you would better to use "informal" or "casual" expression; pronouncing tan-jo-bi-omedeto.
It depends on the situation to write this phrase horizontal or vertical, and generally horizontal line is more informal than vertical one, for examples, books, newspapers and so on.  The addition of ”お” before たんじょうび make the phrase little more formal or polite.

yumom
Local time: 00:48
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  tappi_k: obviously, it depends on how old the grandson is (he could be 4 or 29!) but you have a good point there using a casual language (and Hiragana).
3 hrs
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