How to Say Happy Birthday in Georgian: A Complete Guide to Georgian Birthday Traditions and Greetings

There are few experiences as universally heartwarming as hearing “Happy Birthday” in your native language. But imagine the delight—and the surprise—on a friend’s, colleague’s, or host’s face when you greet them with a heartfelt “Gilocav დაბადების დღეს!” (Gilotsav dabadebis dges!) in the musical, ancient language of Georgia.

Whether you are planning a trip to the Caucasus, connecting with Georgian friends abroad, or simply fascinated by unique languages, this guide will teach you everything you need to know about saying happy birthday in Georgian, along with a glimpse into Georgia’s legendary birthday culture.

1. The Essential Birthday Greeting

The most common and natural way to say “Happy Birthday” in Georgian is:

გილოცავ დაბადების დღეს!

• Pronunciation: Gilotsav dabadebis dges!
• Literal Meaning: “I congratulate you on [your] birthday!”

Let’s break down the two key words:

• გილოცავ (Gilotsav): I congratulate / Greetings (from the root word lotsva, which historically means prayer or blessing, making the greeting feel genuinely warm and auspicious).
• დაბადების დღეს (Dabadebis dges): Birthday (combining dabadeba, meaning birth, and dge, meaning day, in the dative case).

2. Elevating Your Wishes: Adding “Dear” or a Name

To make your greeting warmer and more personal, you can add the person’s name or a term of endearment right before or after the greeting. In Georgian, names change slightly depending on whether you are calling out to the person directly (vocative case).

• To a friend (informal/direct):
  

  Gilotsav dabadebis dges, [Name]!
  (Example: Gilotsav dabadebis dges, Nino!)

• Adding “Dear” (ძვირფასო – Dzvirtsapo):
  

  ძვირფასო მეგობარო, გილოცავ დაბადების დღეს!

  • Pronunciation: Dzvirtsapo megobaro, gilotsav dabadebis dges!
  • Meaning: Dear friend, happy birthday!

3. Going Beyond: Common Georgian Birthday Toasts & Wishes

Georgians are world-famous for their poetic, heartfelt, and elaborate toasts (tamada culture). If you want to impress someone with more than just a basic greeting, memorize one of these meaningful wishes:

• “I wish you happiness and health!”

  გისურვებთ ბედნიერებას და ჯანმრთელობას!

  • Pronunciation: Gisurvebt bednierebas da janmrtelobas!

• “May all your dreams come true!”

  ყველა ოცნება აგხდენოდეს!

  • Pronunciation: Qvela otsneba agkhdenodes!

• “Live a long, happy life!”

  მრავალჟამიერ იცოცხლე!

  • Pronunciation: Mravalzhamier itsotskhle! (Mravalzhamier is a traditional Georgian concept meaning “for many, many years” and is also the title of Georgia’s famous polyphonic celebratory song).

4. How Birthdays are Celebrated in Georgia

If you are lucky enough to be invited to a Georgian birthday party (called a Supra if it’s a sit-down feast), get ready for an unforgettable experience. Georgian birthdays highlight the country’s core cultural pillars:

• The Feast (Supra): Food is abundant, featuring dishes like khachapuri (cheese bread), khinkali (soup dumplings), fresh herbs, grilled meats, and endless platters of local delicacies.
• The Toastmaster (Tamada): Even at casual birthday dinners, a designated toastmaster will lead the table through a series of structured toasts—drinking to the birthday person, their parents, their health, peace, and future endeavors.
• Music and Singing: Traditional polyphonic singing or lively folk music often breaks out spontaneously, turning a simple dinner into a joyous celebration of life.

Quick Reference Summary

| English Phrase | Georgian Script | Pronunciation Guide |
| :— | :— | :— |
| Happy Birthday! | გილოცავ დაბადების დღეს! | Gilotsav dabadebis dges! |
| Thank You! | მადლობა! | Madloba! |
| Cheers / To your health! | გაუმარჯოს! | Gaumarjos! |
| Many happy returns! | მრავალჟამიერ! | Mravalzhamier! |