happy belated birthday
English
Interjection
- Said or written to a person after his or her birthday in order to convey the good wishes of the speaker or writer.
Usage notes
Although frequently used, the phrase happy belated birthday wishes may be preferred instead, because the birthday itself is not and cannot be "belated" as it is a fixed event. The birthday wishes, on the other hand, can take place sooner or later or even not at all.