# Norwegian: Birthday Wishes



## LadyInBlack

Hi,
Could you help me to translate birthday wishes for my friend into Norwegian, please? 

I wish you love,
I wish you luck,
I wish you wisdom
and I wish you smile.
I wish nothing but the best for you.


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## raumar

Hi, 

You could write, for example: 

Jeg ønsker deg kjærlighet, 
jeg ønsker deg hell, 
jeg ønsker deg visdom
og jeg ønsker deg smil.
Jeg ønsker bare det beste for deg.

One option could be to replace the last line with "Jeg ønsker deg bare alt godt." It is a less literal translation -- more like "I just wish you everything good" -- but it might sound more natural.


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## LadyInBlack

Thank you very much


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## NorwegianNYC

Agreed! "Ønsker deg alt godt" sounds better


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## PA_System

Will this also work for someone you're not on first-name terms with?


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## Ben Jamin

PA_System said:


> Will this also work for someone you're not on first-name terms with?


In Norway everybody is on first name terms with everybody, all "polite" forms are obsolete. Only the King is adressed in the third person, and "De/Dem" forms.


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## raumar

PA_System said:


> Will this also work for someone you're not on first-name terms with?



Do you mean the "complete" greeting from the two first posts, or just NorwegianNYC's line from post #4?

Ben Jamin is right, but I would not use the long version unless I knew the person well. If I should congratulate a business acquaintance, for example, I would use something shorter and less flowery, even if I was on first-name terms with him or her. Something like Norwegian NYC's line, for example "Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen", should work well in that case.


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## Grefsen

raumar said:


> Something like Norwegian NYC's line, for example "Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen", should work well in that case.


This is a very useful thread for me since I'd like to know several different ways to wish my Norwegian friends and family a "Happy Birthday" besides just "*Gratulerer med dagen*!" Would the literal translation of "*Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen*" be "I wish you everything good on the birthday"?


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## raumar

Grefsen said:


> Would the literal translation of "*Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen*" be "I wish you everything good on the birthday"?



That's right!


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## Grefsen

raumar said:


> Grefsen said:
> 
> 
> 
> Would the literal translation of "*Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen*" be "I wish you everything good on the birthday"?
> 
> 
> 
> That's right!
Click to expand...


Tusen takk for det, *raumar!* 

This literal translation sounds a bit strange in English, especially since we would say "on your birthday" instead of "on the birthday" even if "I wish you..." was used at the beginning of the sentence.  I'm guessing that once you say "*Jeg ønsker deg..." på norsk, *it would sound a bit redundant to a Norwegian speaker if you also said "*...på din fødselsdagen." *


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## raumar

Hello Grefsen, 

"_Din_" is not needed, but not incorrect either. As you know, we also say "_Gratulerer med dagen_" - not "_Gratulerer med dagen din_". In this case, the "_din_" is not necessarily wrong - but "_Gratulerer med dagen_" is a fixed expression, so we don't add "_din_".  

The problem with your suggestion is the word order, I am afraid that "_din fødselsdagen_" is incorrect. There are different options here:
_
Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen. _

_Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen din._ - there is nothing wrong about this, but the "_din_" is not needed. 

_Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på din fødselsdag_. - "_din fødselsdag_" is more conservative (Danish-sounding) than "_fødselsdagen din_". I would not use it myself.


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## Grefsen

raumar said:


> _Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på fødselsdagen din._ - there is nothing wrong about this, but the "_din_" is not needed.
> 
> _Jeg ønsker deg alt godt på din fødselsdag_. - "_din fødselsdag_" is more conservative (Danish-sounding) than "_fødselsdagen din_". I would not use it myself.


Takk for en god forklaring, *raumar*!


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