Saying Happy Birthday in Georgian: A Complete Guide to Georgian Birthday Traditions and Toasting Culture

When you want to wish someone a happy birthday, words are just the beginning. In Georgia (the gorgeous country nestled at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia), celebrations are rich with history, heartfelt emotion, and one of the world’s most vibrant toasting cultures.

Whether you are planning a trip to Tbilisi, making a Georgian friend, or simply expanding your linguistic horizons, here is everything you need to know about saying happy birthday in Georgian—along with the cultural secrets that make Georgian celebrations truly unforgettable.

1. How to Say “Happy Birthday” in Georgian

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

• Georgian Script: დაბადების დღეს გილოცავ!
• Transliteration: Dabadebis dghes gilotsav!
• Literal Meaning: “I congratulate you on your birthday!”

Breaking Down the Phrase

• დაბადების (Dabadebis): Birth / of birth
• დღეს (Dghes): Day (in the dative case)
• გილოცავ (Gilotsav): I congratulate you

If you want to make it even more formal or address a group of people (or use a polite plural form), you add an -t at the end of the verb:

• გილოცავთ (Gilotsavt): “We congratulate you” or “I congratulate you” (formal/plural).

2. Pronunciation Guide

Georgian is famous for its unique phonetic sounds and consonant clusters, which can look intimidating to English speakers. Break it down syllable by syllable:

• Da-ba-de-bis (Accent slightly on the second syllable: da-BA-de-bis)
• Dghes (Pronounced like “dges”—the gh sounds like a soft throat clearing, similar to the Spanish j or a soft h, though many modern speakers pronounce it quite softly).
• Gi-lot-sav (Pronounced simply as written: gi-LOT-sav)

3. Expanding Your Wishes: More Birthday Phrases

If you want to go beyond the basic greeting and add a little extra warmth, try these phrases:

• “Wishing you health and happiness!”
  • Jandmrtelobas da bednierebas gisurveb! (ჯანმრთელობას და ბედნიერებას გისურვებ!)
• “All the best to you!”
  • Kvelapers sauketesos gisurveb! (ყველაფერს საუკეთესოს გისურვებ!)
• “Many happy returns!” (Literally: “Live for a long time!”)
  • Didi xans icocxle! (დიდი ხანს იცოცხლე!)

4. The Heart of the Celebration: The Georgian Supra and Toasts

You cannot talk about birthdays in Georgia without talking about the supra (traditional Georgian feast). Birthdays are rarely quiet family dinners; they are major social events centered around food, wine, and storytelling.

• The Tamada (Toastmaster): Every traditional supra has a tamada, a toastmaster chosen for their eloquence, wit, and stamina. The tamada leads the table through a series of structured toasts.
• The Birthday Toast: At a birthday supra, special toasts are dedicated to the birthday person (iubilari). Friends and family stand up one by one to share poetic, emotional, and often humorous stories about the birthday person’s character, loyalty, and achievements.
• The Drink: Toasts are typically made with traditional Georgian amber or red wine poured into clay vessels or standard wine glasses, though crashing glasses together is replaced by the solemn and communal shouting of “Gaumarjos!” (Cheers / To victory!).

5. Unique Georgian Birthday Traditions

• The Cake and the Song: While Georgians happily sing the international “Happy Birthday to You” tune, they also have their own lively folk songs and festive atmospheres that stretch late into the night.
• Generosity of Spirit: In Georgian culture, hospitality is sacred. Interestingly, it is very common for the birthday person to host and treat their friends to a large dinner or gathering, emphasizing the joy of giving and sharing food with loved ones.

With your new vocabulary (Dabadebis dghes gilotsav!), you are more than ready to surprise your Georgian friends, impress locals on your next trip to the Caucasus, or bring a touch of Caucasian warmth to your next celebration.

gaumarjos to the birthday person!