Learn Danish: Tillykke med fødselsdagen!

In Danish, you don't say "happy birthday". Instead, you use the phrase Tillykke med, which literally means "Congratulations with". This is the standard way to wish someone well on a special occasion.

What does "Tillykke" mean on its own?

It means "Congratulations". It is made up of til (to) and lykke (luck or happiness), so you are literally wishing luck to someone. You will hear Danes use just Tillykke! to congratulate people on a new job, a graduation, or an engagement.

How do you break down the long word "fødselsdagen"?

It is a compound word. It combines fødsel (birth) and dag (day), joined together by an s. This connecting s works a bit like the English apostrophe-s to link the two words together.

Why does "fødselsdagen" end in "-en"?

The -en at the end of the word is the definite article, which is how Danish says "the". Because it attaches to the end of the word instead of coming before it, the phrase literally translates to "Congratulations with THE birthday".