How Do You Say Happy Birthday in Hindi? (And 9 Other Indian Languages)

In Hindi, "happy birthday" is Janamdin Mubarak Ho — जन्मदिन मुबारक हो. A slightly more formal version is Janamdin ki Shubhkamnayein (जन्मदिन की शुभकामनाएं), which translates closer to "birthday greetings". But Hindi is only one of India's languages, and if you pick the wrong one it can land oddly. Here are ten, written out, with how to actually say them.

First: there is no language called "Indian"

This trips up a lot of people, and it is worth clearing up before you send anything. India has 22 officially scheduled languages and well over a hundred more in daily use. "Indian" describes nationality, not a language. So "how do you say happy birthday in Indian?" doesn't have a single answer — it depends entirely on where in India your recipient's family is from.

Hindi is the most widely spoken and the safest default if you genuinely don't know. But if you do know — if their family is Punjabi, or Tamil, or Gujarati — using their actual language is the whole point. It is the difference between a nice gesture and a gesture that lands.

The phrases, in ten languages

Hindi

जन्मदिन मुबारक हो — Janamdin Mubarak Ho
Say it: JUN-um-din moo-BAA-rak ho. The everyday version, warm and casual. Mubarak is borrowed from Arabic via Urdu and simply means "blessed" or "congratulations".

More formal: जन्मदिन की शुभकामनाएं — Janamdin ki Shubhkamnayein (JUN-um-din kee shoobh-kaam-na-AYN). Use this for elders, colleagues or anyone you'd address respectfully.

Punjabi

ਜਨਮਦਿਨ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ — Janamdin Mubarak
Say it: JUN-um-din moo-BAA-rak. Close to the Hindi, and one of the most common in British Asian families — Punjabi is the third most spoken language in the UK after English and Welsh.

Urdu

سالگرہ مبارک ہو — Saalgirah Mubarak Ho
Say it: saal-GI-rah moo-BAA-rak ho. Spoken in Pakistan and by many Indian Muslim families. Saalgirah literally means "the knot of the year", from an old practice of tying a knot in a cord each year.

Bengali

শুভ জন্মদিন — Shubho Jonmodin
Say it: SHOO-bho JON-mo-din. Used in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Note the vowel shift from the Hindi — jonmo, not janam.

Tamil

பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்துக்கள் — Pirandha Naal Vaazhthukkal
Say it: pi-RAN-dha naal VAAZH-thu-kal. Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Literally "born-day greetings".

Telugu

పుట్టినరోజు శుభాకాంక్షలు — Puttina Roju Shubhakankshalu
Say it: POOT-ti-na RO-ju shu-bha-KAANK-sha-lu. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Marathi

वाढदिवसाच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा — Vaadhdivsachya Hardik Shubhechha
Say it: VAADH-div-saach-ya HAAR-dik shu-BHECH-chha. Maharashtra, including Mumbai. "Hearty birthday wishes."

Gujarati

જન્મદિવસની શુભકામનાઓ — Janmadivasni Shubhkamnao
Say it: JUN-ma-di-vas-nee shoobh-kaam-na-oh. Gujarat, and very common in UK Gujarati communities in Leicester, Wembley and Bolton.

Kannada

ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು — Huttuhabbada Shubhashayagalu
Say it: HOO-tu-hab-ba-da shu-BHAA-sha-ya-ga-lu. Karnataka, including Bangalore.

Malayalam

ജന്മദിനാശംസകൾ — Janmadinashamsakal
Say it: jun-ma-di-na-SHAM-sa-kal. Kerala. One word, which catches people out.

Which one should you actually use?

• You know their family's region. Use that language. Always.
• You don't know. Hindi. It is the most widely understood and nobody takes offence at it.
• They're a British Asian friend and you're not sure. Punjabi, Gujarati and Urdu cover a very large share of UK South Asian families. If you can ask someone who knows, ask.
• They're Muslim, from India or Pakistan. The Urdu Saalgirah Mubarak Ho is a safe and warm choice.

One honest caution: transliteration is approximate. Every phrase above is written in the correct script as well as in Roman letters, because if you're typing it into a card or a message, the script is what a native speaker will read most naturally.

Saying it out loud beats writing it

A phrase in a text message is nice. The same phrase said out loud, by someone who speaks the language, with the recipient's name in it, is a different thing entirely — and it is the reason people started sending video greetings in the first place.

Our Mumbai Hype Crew are Indian performers who will say your message aloud in Hindi or English, hold up a board with your recipient's name on it, and turn it into a full song-and-dance celebration. You write the message; they perform it. If you want it in Hindi, write it in Hindi — there is more detail on exactly how that works in our guide to sending a birthday video in Hindi or another Indian language.

You can see the crew and what they do on the Mumbai Hype Crew page, or read how a typical order goes in Personalised Indian Birthday Video UK.

If your recipient is Urdu-speaking, our Pakistan Village Crew film on a working rural farm — animals included — and perform in Urdu and Punjabi. See that crew here.

Common questions

Is "Janamdin Mubarak Ho" formal or informal?
Informal-to-neutral. It is what you'd say to a friend, a sibling or a cousin. For an elder or someone senior at work, use Janamdin ki Shubhkamnayein.

What's the difference between the Hindi and Urdu versions?
Hindi uses Janamdin (from Sanskrit); Urdu uses Saalgirah (from Persian). Both share Mubarak. Spoken aloud, Hindi and Urdu speakers understand each other easily — the bigger difference is the written script.

Can I just write it in English letters?
Yes, and most people do in texts and on WhatsApp. But in a card or a gift, the original script reads as more considered.

Can a video be performed in a language other than Hindi or English?
Ask before you order. The Mumbai crew handle Hindi and English confidently. Other languages depend on the individual performers, so check with us first rather than assume — we would rather tell you no in advance than deliver something that doesn't sound right.

What does a personalised video cost?
Basic is £29.99, Premium £39.99 and VIP £49.99, all in pounds. There's a full breakdown of what the whole category charges in what a personalised video message costs in the UK.

How quickly does it arrive?
Basic in 48–72 hours; Premium and VIP within 24 hours of your details reaching us. Crews film between 08:00 and 17:00 GMT, so the clock starts on their next filming morning.

Are these real performers?
Yes. Every video is filmed to order for one named person. Nothing is AI-generated and no clip is reused. Company details are on the is Wishes Made Easy legit? page.

Beyond birthdays

The same crews film for Diwali, Eid, anniversaries and graduations. If you're sending to more than one person, the two-video bundle lets you mix crews.

Browse all crews — from £29.99 →

---

More guides in the complete guide to personalised video gifts (UK). Wishes Made Easy is a UK-registered digital gifting service — Emporify Global Ltd, England and Wales. Prices in GBP. Published 11 September 2026.