Celebrating in the Caucasus: How to Say “Happy Birthday” in Georgian and Join the Feast

If you are planning a trip to Georgia, making friends with locals, or simply expanding your linguistic toolkit, learning how to say “Happy Birthday” is one of the warmest ways to connect. Georgian is a uniquely rich and ancient language, and its birthday greetings reflect the deep culture of hospitality, toast-making, and community that defines the country.

Here is everything you need to know to say “Happy Birthday” in Georgian, complete with pronunciation guides, cultural context, and bonus phrases to make you sound like a local.

1. The Essential Phrase: How to Say “Happy Birthday”

The standard, most common way to wish someone a happy birthday in Georgian is:

• Georgian script: დაბადების დღეს გილოცავ!
• Transliteration (Pronunciation): Dabadis dghes gilocav!
• Literal Translation: “I congratulate you on your birth day!”

If you want to be a bit more formal—or if you are addressing an elder, a group of people, or someone you want to show extra respect to—you use the polite/plural form:

• Georgian script: დაბადების დღეს გილოცავთ!
• Transliteration (Pronunciation): Dabadis dghes gilocavt!

2. Breaking Down the Pronunciation

Georgian can look intimidating at first glance because of its unique alphabet (Mkhedruli) and consonant clusters, but saying this phrase gets easier with a little practice:

• Dabadis (დაბადების) – Da-ba-de-bis (Birth / of birth)
• Dghes (დღეს) – Dghes (Day — note that the “dh” sound is a voiced dental/alveolar fricative, but English speakers usually get by pronouncing it close to “dhes”)
• Gilocav (გილოცავ) – Gi-lo-tsav (I congratulate)

Put it together smoothly: Da-ba-dis dghes gi-lo-tsav!

3. Going Beyond the Basics: Georgian Birthday Toasts

In Georgian culture, birthdays are rarely low-key affairs. They are usually celebrated with a massive feast known as a supra, led by a toastmaster (tamada). If you find yourself celebrating with Georgians, a simple “Happy Birthday” is just the beginning. You can elevate your greetings with these traditional wishes:

• “გილოცავ დაბადების დღეს, გისურვებ ბედნიერებას!”

  • Gilocav dabadis dghes, gisurveb bednierebas!
  • Meaning: “Happy birthday, I wish you happiness!”

• “მრავალჟამიერ!”

  • Mravalzhamier!
  • Meaning: “May you live for many years!” (This is a powerful, traditional Georgian exclamation used at birthdays, weddings, and major celebrations, often accompanied by polyphonic singing).

4. Cultural Insights: Birthdays the Georgian Way

Understanding the language is only half the fun; understanding the culture makes the greeting meaningful:

1. The Power of the Toast: At a Georgian birthday dinner, glasses are raised constantly. Do not drink alone or without a toast—wait for someone to lead a toast to the birthday person, family, health, or future, and respond with “Gaumarjos!” (Cheers / To victory!).
2. Generous Hospitality: If you are the birthday person in Georgia, prepare to be showered not just with words, but with an overwhelming abundance of food, wine, and heartfelt speeches that touch on history, poetry, and personal virtues.

Summary Cheat Sheet

| English | Georgian (Script) | Pronunciation |
| :— | :— | :— |
| Happy Birthday! (Informal) | დაბადების დღეს გილოცავ! | Dabadis dghes gilocav! |
| Happy Birthday! (Formal/Plural) | დაბადების დღეს გილოცავთ! | Dabadis dghes gilocavt! |
| Cheers! | გაუმარჯოს! | Gaumarjos! |

Next time a Georgian friend or colleague celebrates another trip around the sun, skip the standard English greeting and surprise them with a hearty “Dabadis dghes gilocav!”