Learning the Birthday Song in German

The good news about singing Happy Birthday in Germany is that it is not hard at all. The reason is the bad news: The English version of Happy Birthday is commonly sung at German parties. Nevertheless, on occasion, you will hear it sung in German. There are a few main birthday songs in German. One common song is sung to the same tune as the English birthday song. The lyrics are as follows:   Zum Geburtstag viel Glà ¼ck, Zum Geburtstag viel Glà ¼ck, Zum Geburtstag alles Gute, Zum Geburtstag viel Glà ¼ck. Another birthday song that you will hear at times, especially at childrens birthday parties, is the one penned by Germanys favorite childrens singer, Rolf Zuckowski. Its called Wie schà ¶n, dass du geboren bist (Its great that you were born). Here are the lyrics to that song:   Wie schà ¶n, dass du geboren bist,   wir hà ¤tten dich sonst sehr vermisst, wie schà ¶n, dass wir beisammen sind, wir gratulieren dir, Geburtstagskind. English Translation Its great that you were born. Otherwise, we would have missed you very much. Its great that were together.   We congratulate you, birthday child. Another traditional birthday song doesnt use the words happy birthday at all, yet its still common. For this version, sometimes the chair is lifted up while everybody sings along. Here are the lyrics to that song: Hoch soll sie/er leben!   Hoch soll sie/er leben! Dreimal hoch!   English Translation Long may she/he live! Long may she/he live! Three cheers! This song almost sounds like a chant. Listen to the tune here (and learn a few bonus phrases that are less commonly used but still amusing to memorize).   How to Say Happy Birthday in German When filling out the birthday card, there are several ways to wish someone a happy birthday. Two common expressions are:   Herzlichen Glà ¼ckwunsch zum Geburtstag.   Alles Gute zum Geburtstag. How Do Germans Celebrate Birthdays? Learn more about typical German birthday customs here.