Nevin If you have ever been to a Spanish-speaking country or had Spanish-speaking friends, you must have heard the phrase “Feliz Cumpleaños.”
The phrase is the Spanish equivalent of “Happy Birthday,” and it is widely used across Spanish-speaking countries.
However, have you ever wondered why the phrase is not “Cumpleaños Feliz” instead?
In this article, we will explore the origin and reasons behind the use of “Feliz Cumpleaños” and not “Cumpleaños Feliz.”
Introduction
Every language has its own unique phrases and idioms that make it different from other languages.
Some phrases are so specific to a particular language that they do not have any direct translations in other languages. One such phrase in Spanish is “Feliz Cumpleaños.”
The phrase is used to wish someone a happy birthday and is widely used across Spanish-speaking countries.
Origins of “Feliz Cumpleaños”
The phrase “Feliz Cumpleaños” originated in Mexico in the early 20th century. Before the phrase became popular, people used to use phrases like “Felicidades en tu día” or “Que tengas un feliz día de cumpleaños” to wish someone a happy birthday. However, these phrases were long and cumbersome, and people started looking for shorter and simpler alternatives.
In the early 1900s, a Mexican songwriter named Victoriano Ramírez wrote a song called “Las Mañanitas.” The song became very popular and was soon used as a birthday song across Mexico. The chorus of the song goes, “Estas son las mañanitas que cantaba el Rey David, Hoy por ser tu cumpleaños te las cantamos a ti, Despierta, mi bien, despierta, Mira que ya amaneció.” The chorus ends with “Que Dios te bendiga, que reine la paz en tu día, y que cumplas muchos más.”
The phrase “Feliz Cumpleaños” comes from the last line of the chorus, “y que cumplas muchos más” which means “and that you have many more.” The phrase was shortened to “Feliz Cumpleaños” and soon became the standard way of wishing someone a happy birthday across Mexico.
The Reason Behind the Word Order
In Spanish, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, and one of them is the use of adjectives to express emotions or feelings. When adjectives are used to express emotions, they usually come before the noun they describe.
For example, in Spanish, we say “triste canción” (sad song) and not “canción triste.” The reason behind this word order is that the adjective is used to express the emotion or feeling, and the noun is used to describe what is causing the emotion.
In the case of “Feliz Cumpleaños,” the adjective “Feliz” is used to express the feeling of happiness, and the noun “Cumpleaños” is used to describe the occasion. Therefore, the word order is “Feliz Cumpleaños” and not “Cumpleaños Feliz.”
FAQs
Can I use “Cumpleaños Feliz” instead of “Feliz Cumpleaños”?
While you can use “Cumpleaños Feliz” to wish someone a happy birthday, it is not the standard way of saying it in Spanish-speaking countries. Using “Feliz Cumpleaños” is more natural and widely accepted.
