How to Say Happy Birthday in Elvish

Quick answer: In Quenya, Mára coirëassë (MAH-rah KOY-reh-as-seh) means "good/happy life-day." The fuller form is Alassëa coirëassë (ah-LAS-seh-ah) — "joyful life-day." In Sindarin, Alíthiad e-gennin lín means "may your birthday be bright."

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Quenya Birthday Phrases

Mára coirëassë — Good Life-Day

The simplest, most natural-sounding birthday greeting in Quenya.

Pronunciation: MAH-rah KOY-reh-as-seh
Word by word:

• Mára — good, excellent, happy
• coirë — life, living
• assë — day (as suffix: -assë)

Alassëa coirëassë — Joyful Life-Day

A more elaborate and emotionally warm greeting. Alassë means joy or happiness — a deeper, celebratory happiness.

Pronunciation: ah-LAS-seh-ah KOY-reh-as-seh

Nai coirëassë mára ná — May your life-day be good

A wish-form using nai (may it be) — the Quenya subjunctive particle Galadriel uses in Namárië.

Pronunciation: NYE KOY-reh-as-seh MAH-rah NAH

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Sindarin Birthday Phrases

Alíthiad e-gennin lín — May your birthday be bright

Alíthiad is a Sindarin blessing-form meaning "may it be radiant/bright." Gennin is birthday. Lín means "your."

Pronunciation: ah-LITH-ee-ad eh-GEN-nin leen

Gerich gennin vaer — You have a good birthday

A simple declarative greeting — warm and direct.

Pronunciation: GEH-rich GEN-nin VY-er

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Birthday Wishes for Different People

For whom	Sindarin	Quenya
A friend	Novaer i·gennin lín, mellon	Mára coirëassë, meldo
Someone you love	I·gennin lín na vaer, melen le	Alassëa coirëassë, melinyel
A child	Cuio vae i·gennin lín!	Á coirë vanima!
Formal / respectful	Alíthiad e-gennin lín, hîr	Nai coirëassë mára ná

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Birthday Vocabulary

English	Sindarin	Quenya
Birthday	gennin	coirëassë
Celebration	mereth	mereth
Gift	anand	anta
Joy	glaer	alassë
Life	corf	coirë
Happy	glaer	alassëa
May it be good	na vaer	nai mára ná
Many years	perin i-yéni	númer yéni

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What to Write on a Card

For a Lord of the Rings fan, here are complete card messages:

Short and elegant (Quenya):

Alassëa coirëassë. "Joyful life-day."

Warm and personal (Sindarin):

Novaer i·gennin lín, mellon nín. Noro lim! "Farewell on your birthday, my friend. Run swiftly!" (the last phrase is a playful Elvish "go enjoy yourself")

Ceremonial and beautiful (Quenya, Galadriel-style):

Nai coirëassë mára ná, ar nai elyë hiruva i·vanima arda. "May your life-day be good, and may you find the beautiful world."

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The Elvish Concept of Birthdays

Tolkien wrote little about how Elves celebrated birthdays. This is partly because Elves are immortal — birthdays as human beings experience them (as markers of approaching death) would mean something different to a being who does not age after adulthood.

Elves likely treated their coirëassë (life-day) as an anniversary of entering the world — a celebration of being alive in Middle-earth — rather than a countdown. For Elves, every year is simply more life. The celebration is different when you have no reason to dread the next one.

For mortals giving an Elvish birthday greeting, Mára coirëassë carries this weight: you are wishing someone not just a good day, but a good life — in the Elvish sense, where life and celebration are not separated.

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Write It in Tengwar

A birthday message in Tengwar script makes a genuinely beautiful card or gift. Use our Tengwar Name Generator to render any birthday phrase — or the recipient's name — in the Elvish script.

Create a Tengwar birthday message →

Alassëa coirëassë. May your life-day be joyful.