In a birthday card, write their name, one line that only they would get, and a wish for the year ahead. How much you write depends on who it is for: one line for a coworker, three or four for a close friend, as many as you like for a partner.
This guide is sorted by who the card is for. For belated wishes and birthday texts, see how to write a birthday message.
Finding the one line
If you are staring at the blank half of the card, ask yourself three questions. Any answer will do as your middle line.
- What did they do this year? A new job, a move, a race, a hard thing they got through.
- What do you always do together? The Sunday call, the same table at the same pub.
- What would you thank them for?
A close friend
Warm:
Happy birthday, Niamh. You drove two hours in February to sit on my sofa and say nothing useful, and it was exactly right. I hope this year gives you back some of what you give everyone else.
Funny:
Happy birthday, Jude. You still can't park and I still get in the car. That's friendship.
Happy birthday to the only person I'd share my chips with. Don't test it.
Short:
Happy birthday, you. Pub on Friday, my round.
Far away:
Happy birthday from the wrong side of the ocean. I'm eating cake at my desk in your honour and telling nobody why.
A partner
Happy birthday, my love. You make the tea wrong and everything else right. I'd pick you again tomorrow.
Eleven years in, and you're still the first person I want to tell things to. Happy birthday.
Family
Mum:
Happy birthday, Mum. I made your soup last week and it wasn't as good, which I think you'll enjoy hearing. Thank you for answering the phone every single time.
Dad:
Happy birthday, Dad. Thanks for teaching me to check the oil, and for never saying "I told you so" when I didn't. See you Sunday. I'm bringing pudding.
A brother or sister:
Happy birthday, big brother. You were insufferable at twelve and you've turned out all right. Proud of you.
A grandparent:
Happy birthday, Grandad. I still use your trick for the nine times table. Lots of love, and save me a corner piece.
A grown-up son or daughter:
Happy birthday, Tilly. You arrived three weeks late and you've kept your own schedule ever since. We are so proud of the person you are.
An in-law:
Happy birthday, Carol. Thank you for making me feel like one of yours from the start. Have a lovely day.
A child
Print clearly, and write something they would like to hear read aloud. Name the thing they are into right now.
Happy 6th birthday, Arlo! Six is a very good number. I hear you can ride without stabilisers now. Show me on Saturday.
For a teenager, keep it short and leave out anything that would embarrass them in front of friends.
Happy 15th, Zara. You're turning into someone really good to be around. There's something in the envelope. Spend it on nothing sensible.
A coworker
In your own card, thank them for one thing and stop.
Happy birthday, Lorna. The office is nicer on the days you're in. I hope somebody makes you a proper cake.
Happy birthday, Malik. Thank you for your patience with my spreadsheet questions. Have a great day.
To a boss:
Happy birthday, Yusuf. I hope you get a real break today and a good dinner tonight.
In the card that goes round the office, write one line. Read what is already there and write something else.
Happy birthday. Hope it's a good one.
Have a great day, Lorna. Save me some cake.
Many happy returns from the noisy end of the office.
Happy birthday. Go home early.
Someone you barely know
A neighbour, a partner's friend, your child's teacher, a client. Two polite lines, and your name in full.
Happy birthday, Mr Doyle. Thank you for taking in all our parcels this year. Wishing you a lovely day.
Happy birthday, Shauna. I hope the day is a good one and the year ahead is kind to you.
Wishing you a very happy birthday. From the Bakers at number 31.
Milestone birthdays
A big birthday earns a longer message. What to write about shifts with the number.
| Birthday | Write about |
|---|---|
| 18 or 21 | What is opening up for them, and that you are proud |
| 30 or 40 | What they have built, with a light tease only if they enjoy one |
| 50 or 60 | What they mean to the people around them |
| 70, 80, 90 | Thanks, and a memory |
Happy 18th, Reuben. You've been good company since you were about four. Go and have a big life, and come home for dinner sometimes.
Happy 40th, Steph. A house, two kids, a business, and the same laugh you had at sixteen. That's a good forty years.
Happy 80th, Auntie Pat. You taught three generations of us to swim and none of us to stop talking. With all our love.
When their year has been hard
After an illness, a loss or a break-up, skip "best year yet". Say you are glad of them.
Happy birthday, Col. It's been a rough year and you've been braver than you think. I'm glad you were born. Dinner's on me.
Other ways to say happy birthday
Many happy returns.
Glad you were born.
Here's to you, today and all year.
Have the day you'd choose for yourself.
What to avoid
- A signature alone under the printed verse. Add one line of your own.
- An essay in a group card. Leave room for everyone else, and do not copy the line above yours.
- Their age, in a work card. Also kisses, and jokes the rest of the office will not follow.
- Lessons, in a child's card. "Be good for your mum" is not a birthday wish.
- An apology. "Sorry I've been rubbish at keeping in touch" belongs in another message.
- Age jokes, unless you are sure they enjoy them.
Doing it with Hemmingway
If the middle line will not come, the birthday message generator writes a first version. Tell it who the card is for, one thing about them or the two of you, which birthday it is if that matters, and how it should sound. It builds the message around the detail you give, so give it a real one. Read it, change anything that does not sound like you, and write it into the card yourself.
For a verse in place of a message, there is a poem generator. If you are saying a few words at the party, there is a birthday speech generator too.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
Common questions
What is a short birthday message for a card?
"Happy birthday, [name]. Hope today is a good one and the year is even better." works for anyone. For someone you know well, swap the second sentence for a line about them, such as a plan you have together or something they did this year.
What do you write in a birthday card for someone you don't know well?
Use their name, wish them a happy birthday and a good year, and add a thank-you if there is an honest one to give. Two lines is right. Sign with your full name so they know who it is from.
What do you write in a group birthday card at work?
One line and your name. "Happy birthday, hope it's a good one" is fine, and a short thank-you for something they did is better. Leave out their age and any joke the rest of the office would not understand.
What do you write in a milestone birthday card?
Write a little more than usual. For 18 or 21, say what you are proud of and what is ahead. For 30 to 60, name what they have built or what they mean to people. For 70 and over, thank them and share a memory.
What do you write in a child's birthday card?
Say happy birthday with their new age, mention something they like or have just learned to do, and give them something to look forward to, like a visit. Print clearly so they can read it themselves, and keep it to three short sentences.
What can you write instead of "happy birthday"?
"Many happy returns", "glad you were born", "here's to you" and "have the day you'd choose for yourself" all work. If the rest of the message is personal, plain "happy birthday" is fine too.