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saengil

Saengil, written in Hangul as 생일, is a Korean noun meaning birthday, the anniversary of a person’s birth. It is formed from the native elements 생 (birth, life) and 일 (day). The Sino-Korean form 生日 is sometimes used in historical or scholarly contexts. When specifying the date including the year, Koreans typically use 생년월일 (birth year, month, and day).

Usage and common phrases include 생일 축하합니다 (Happy Birthday), 생일 축하해요, and 생일 파티 (birthday party). The term 생일 itself refers to the

Cultural notes: In Korea, Western-style birthday celebrations (cakes, candles, wishes) became common in the 20th century,

See also: 생년월일, 돌잔치, 백일, 생신.

day
of
birth,
not
the
age;
age
is
indicated
separately
with
나이.
For
elders,
the
honorific
생신
is
used,
as
in
생신
축하드립니다.
but
traditional
infant
celebrations
such
as
돌잔치
(doljanchi)
for
a
first
birthday
and
백일
(baek-il)
for
100
days
are
still
widely
observed.
Gift-giving
and
well-wishing
are
common
components
of
the
birthday
tradition.