How Do I Say “Happy Birthday” in Romanian?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 27, 2020

The equivalent of the phrase “happy birthday” in Romanian is “la mulţi ani.” However, the literal meanings of the two phrases are very different, with the Romanian version meaning, “may you live for many years!”

Romanians have two birthday songs. One is “La mulţi ani,” and the other is “Cine să trăiască” meaning “who is to live?” People also traditionally use the phrase “la mulţi ani” during the winter holidays, especially on the night of New Year’s Eve, to mean “happy new year.” Other greetings Romanians say to each other around the Christmas and New Year holidays are “sărbători fericite,” which means “happy holidays,” and “crăciun fericit,” meaning “merry Christmas.”