You will wish a friend a happy birthday, say it politely to an elder, and name whose birthday it is with the right ending.
The idea
In doğum günü, gün carries the compound suffix -ü. Replace that suffix with the possessive ending for the owner: gün-ün for sen, gün-ünüz for siz, gün-üm for ben. Thus Doğum günün kutlu olsun! wishes someone a happy birthday. İyi ki doğdun! is a warm alternative, using the past of doğmak (to be born).
| Person | Added to gün | Result |
|---|---|---|
| ben | -üm | doğum günüm |
| biz | -ümüz | doğum günümüz |
| sen | -ün | doğum günün |
| siz | -ünüz | doğum gününüz |
Examples
- Doğum günün kutlu olsun, Ayşe!Happy birthday, Ayşe!The name can come first or last: Ayşe, doğum günün kutlu olsun! Literally: your birthday, may it be blessed.
- Doğum günüm yarın.My birthday is tomorrow.
- Sana küçük bir hediyem var.I have a small gift for you.
- İyi ki doğdun!Happy birthday!Warm and informal, among friends and family. Literally 'good that you were born'; doğdun is the past tense of doğmak with the sen ending.
- Doğum gününüz kutlu olsun!Happy birthday! (polite form)The ending -ünüz is for someone you address as siz, or for several people at once.
- Doğum günün ne zaman?When is your birthday?
- Nice mutlu yıllara!Here's to many more happy years!Nice means 'many'. Yıllara is yıl (year) plus plural -lar plus -a (to): 'to many happy years'. It follows the main wish.
- Bir dilek tut!Make a wish!
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Watch out
Doğum günü kutlu olsun is a wish for a third person understood from context. When addressing the birthday person, choose günün for sen or gününüz for siz. The choice depends on your relationship and level of formality, not age alone.
Try it yourself
Use the possessive form for sen: doğum günü → ___ .
Show answer or example answer
doğum günün
doğum günün: gün + -ün (sen). The compound -ü is replaced by this possessive suffix on gün, whose last vowel is ü.
Use the possessive form for siz: doğum günü → ___ .
Show answer or example answer
doğum gününüz
doğum gününüz: gün + -ünüz (siz). The compound -ü is replaced by this possessive suffix on gün, whose last vowel is ü.
Use the possessive form for ben: doğum günü → ___ .
Show answer or example answer
doğum günüm
doğum günüm: gün + -üm (ben). The compound -ü is replaced by this possessive suffix on gün, whose last vowel is ü.
Put doğmak (to be born) in the past tense for you (sen) to finish the warm birthday wish.
Show answer or example answer
doğdun
doğdun: doğ- plus past -du (u after the back rounded o, d after the voiced ğ) plus -n for sen.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Use the possessive form for sen: doğum günü → ___ .
Use the possessive form for siz: doğum günü → ___ .
Use the possessive form for ben: doğum günü → ___ .
Put doğmak (to be born) in the past tense for you (sen) to finish the warm birthday wish.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write two wishes, one for a friend and one for an older person, and underline the ending on gün in each.