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Celebrating an Irish birthday? Here's how to say Happy Birthday to somebody in Irish.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Saying Happy Birthday

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  1. In Irish, you can use two different words for "birthday": [1]
    • Lá breithe; or
    • Breithlá.
  2. [2]
    • Say "Lá breithe shona duit" - Happy birthday to you - Law breh-ha shun-ah ditch
    • Say "Breithlá shona duit" - Happy birthday to you - Breh-law shun-ah ditch.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Singing the Birthday Song

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  1. Here's how the song goes: [3]
    • Lá breithe shona duit, lá breithe shona duit, lá breithe shona [name], lá breithe shona duit. [4]
  2. [5]
    • Law breh-ha hun-ah ditch - Lá breithe shona duit
    • Law breh-ha hun-ah [name] - Lá breithe shona [name]
  3. For example:
    • Hip-Hip Hooray! - Heip-heip abú! - Hep hep aboo.
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  • Question
    How do I say, "Happy birthday, Patrick!" in Gaelic?
    Keelan
    Community Answer
    Translation: "Lá breithe shona duit, a Phádraig!"
  • Question
    It's "La breithe sona", not "shona" because la is masculine. If that were correct, I'd use this resource in my class.
    Bookwormara
    Community Answer
    We will change this article to reflect your suggestions. Thanks for your input!
  • Question
    How do I say, "Happy Birthday, my Irish Love"?
    Keelan
    Community Answer
    Lá breithe shona duit, a chroí Ghaelach.
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      Article Summary X

      There are 2 ways to say happy birthday in Irish. You can either say, “Lá breithe” or “Breithlá.” To say “Happy birthday to you,” say, “Lá breithe shona duit,” or “Breithlá shona duit.” For more tips, including how to sing the birthday song in Irish, read on!

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