เซอร์ไพรส์วันเกิดด้วยเค้กสุดพิเศษของวัน

What does “วันเกิด (wan-goet)” mean in Thai?

In this clip a character is set up for a birthday surprise with a special cake. The key word is วันเกิด (wan-gòet), “birthday,” and it’s beautifully literal: วัน (wan) means “day” and เกิด (gòet) means “to be born.” Put them together and you get “day-born,” your birthday.

To wish someone well you say สุขสันต์วันเกิด (sùk-sǎn wan-gòet), “Happy Birthday,” though younger Thais just as often text the English “HBD.” The verb เกิด (gòet) on its own is everywhere too: it also means “to happen” or “to arise,” as in เกิดอะไรขึ้น? (“What happened?”). Learn เกิด and you unlock both birthdays and one of Thai’s most common everyday verbs.