How to say Happy Birthday in Swedish

OCY [email protected] February 24, 2021 | 01:05

You have Swedish friends and you want to make a good impression on them by wishing them a happy birthday. Even though your Swedish is not good but your good intention will delight them. The article on how to say Happy Birthday in Swedish will help you.

Photo: Babbel

How to say happy birthday in Swedish

First, the basics. Saying happy birthday in Swedish can be as easy as just saying grattis.

It’s pronounced almost exactly how it’s spelled. If we break it down, “Grat”, is pronounced the same as the beginning of the word “gratitude” and then “is” is pronounced as if it were spelled double ‘s’ – “iss”. So, “grat-iss”.

If you want to use the full expression, as grattis simply means “congratulations”, then you should say grattis på födelsedagen. Pronounced: Gratt-iss paw fur-dells-eh-dar-gen”. The “g” in ‘dagen” is hard, so it’s the same g as in “great”, cites heyexplorer.

Belated birthday greetings in Swedish

Sometimes, you need to congratulate someone after their birthday has passed. This isn’t considered unlucky in Sweden as it is in other European countries. If you run into a friend or acquaintance and you want to say happy belated birthday to them, say grattis i efterskott (gratt-iss ee efter-skott).

On the flip-side, if you know you aren’t going to see someone on or before their birthday, you can say grattis i förskott (grat-iss ee fur-scot).

If that’s not weird enough, there’s the happy birthday song in Swedish. Or is it happy? If you ask me it’s a bit macabre. Within the lyrics of the song, there are threats to shoot, hang and drown the person celebrating their birthday! This song was previously a drinking song and became tradition to sing on people’s birthdays in the 1940’s.

Here it comes

"Ja, må han leva! Ja, må han leva, Ja, må han leva uti hundrade år!

Javisst ska han leva! Javisst ska han leva! Javisst ska han leva uti hundrade år!

Och när han har levat, Och när han har levat, Och när han har levat uti hundrade år!

Ja, då ska han skjutas, Ja, då ska han skjutas, Ja, då ska han skjutas på en skottkärra fram!

Och när han har skjutits, Och när han har skjutits, Och när han har skjutits på en skottkärra fram

Ja, då ska han hängas, Ja, då ska han hängas, Ja, då ska han hängas på en häst bakåfram!

Och när han har hängits, Och när han har hängits, Och när han har hängits på en häst bakåfram

Ja, då ska han dränkas, Ja, då ska han dränkas, Ja, då ska han dränkas i en flaska champagne!

Och när han har drunknat, Och när han har drunknat, Och när han har drunknat i en flaska champagne!

Ja, då ska han firas, Ja, då ska han firas, Ja, då ska han firas med jättelång låt!

Ja må han leva! Ja må han leva!"

This translates roughly as

"Yes, may he live! Yes, may he live! Yes, may he live for a hundred years! Sure he will live! Sure he will live! Sure he will live for a hundred years!

And when he has lived! And when he has lived! And when he has lived for a hundred years! Then he should be shot! Then he should be shot! Then he should be shot forward in a wheelbarrow!

And when he’s been shot, and when he’s been shot. And when he’s been shot forward on a wheelbarrow then he should be hanged, then he should be hanged, then he should he hanged on a horse back to front.

And when he’s been hung, and when he’s been hung and when he’s been hung on a horse back-to-front, then he should be drowned, yes drowned, yes he should be drowned in a bottle of champagne

And when he’s been drowned in a bottle of champagne, then he should be celebrated for a really long life!

Yes, may he live! Yes, may he live!’’

So, if you’re celebrating a birthday in Sweden, I hope you enjoy it. And watch out for wheelbarrows, according to the newbie guide to sweden.