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Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Today's lesson is about—you guessed it—birthdays, and how we ask about and talk about them. 

 

First of all, here's how you wish someone "Happy Birthday" in German:

 

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Happy birthday!

Caption 13, Nicos Weg: Einfach super!

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Zum Geburtstag viel Glück, Franzi!

Much happiness on your birthday, Franzi!

Caption 8, Felix und Franzi: Franzis Geburtstag

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The noun der Geburtstag is often used with the verb haben ("to have") rather than sein ("to be").

 

Franzi hat heute Geburtstag!

Today is Franzi's birthday!

Caption 2, Felix und Franzi Franzis Geburtstag

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Wie ist Ihr Geburtsdatum? Ich meine, wann haben Sie Geburtstag?

What is your date of birth? I mean, when is your birthday?

Caption 8, Nicos Weg: Auf dem Amt

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As you've noticed, the preposition zu is often used, and because der Geburtstag is masculine, it becomes zum

 

Und zum Geburtstag bekam ich manchmal bunte „Edelsteine“ geschenkt.

And for my birthday, I sometimes got colorful "gemstones" as a present.

Caption 4, Deutsch mit Eylin: Mineralien

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When we talk about particular birthdays, we can use ordinal numbers to state how old the person is becoming. A significant birthday, like when a person turns a multiple of ten, is known as a runder Geburtstag

 

Als sie endlich ihren fünfzehnten Geburtstag feierte, durfte sie selbst an die Oberfläche schwimmen.

When she finally celebrated her fifteenth birthday, she was allowed to swim to the surface herself.

Captions 22-23, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Die kleine Meerjungfrau

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Runder Geburtstag für den Panikrocker.

Milestone birthday for the panic-rocker.

Caption 1, 65 Jahre Udo Lindenberg

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Further Learning

After watching more videos on Yabla German to hear people talking about birthdays, practice wishing some people happy birthday in German!

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