It can be disappointing when someone forgets to wish you a happy birthday. However, how you respond depends on the situation.
Is it someone you thought would remember, like your best friend, a parent, or a partner? Is it someone who just got caught up in life and forgot, and you’re thinking of gently reminding them?
Or maybe they’ve already apologized and sent a belated wish, and you’re unsure how to reply.
In general, there are many reasons someone might forget your birthday. You can choose from our 20 suggested replies to express how you feel.
List of the Best Replies For When Someone Forgets Your Birthday
Here’s a summary of our top 20 suggestions. In the following sections, we’ll consider how to use each in various situations and discuss some actions you should take when someone important to you forgets your birthday.
- No stress; it’s the thought that counts.
- Hey, got the feeling you’ve forgotten anything recently?
- It’s a letdown that you forgot my special day.
- Did you know you just missed my Birthday?
- I’m a little hurt that you forgot my birthday.
- It would mean a lot to me if you’d put special dates in your calendar.
- How dare you forget birthdays.
- I appreciate you thinking of me, even if it’s a bit late.
- Just a reminder, my birthday was a few days ago.
- I’m sure you’ll be disappointed if I forget your birthday next time.
- My birthday came and went, but it’s no big deal.
- Looks like I’ll need to start reminding you a bit earlier.
- No surprise you didn’t remember. My birthday isn’t exactly a national holiday!
- So my birthday was just another day for you? I’m not surprised.
- I see you’ve forgotten my birthday again. I guess some things never change.
- Well, I see where I stand on your calendar.
- I suppose forgetting is a sign of how unforgettable I am.
- Is there a reason you didn’t remember my birthday?
- So when are you giving the ‘Sorry I Forgot Your Birthday’ speech?
- I had a good time anyway; thanks for reaching out.
The thing is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for responding when someone forgets your birthday. You need to consider who the person is, how you feel, and the specific situation.
Remember that even with phone calendars, people can still mix up dates. Some of our responses will work well if there’s a reasonable explanation for why they forgot.
However, sometimes you just need to express disappointment that they didn’t remember your birthday.
Since the best response depends on the context, we’ve reviewed each suggested reply and provided scenarios where they might be most appropriate. This will help you choose the perfect response for your situation.
1. No stress, it’s the thought that counts
If someone missed your birthday but later sent you a belated wish, you can reply, “No stress; it’s the thought that counts.”
This shows that you’re not upset about it. At least they took the time to reach out, even if it’s late.
But if this person often forgets your birthday, especially if they say they care about you, consider a different response.
2. Hey, got the feeling you’ve forgotten anything recently?
An excellent way to respond to someone who seems to have forgotten your birthday is to ask them, “Hey, do you feel like you might have forgotten something recently?”
This works best if they haven’t even realized they missed your birthday, let alone sent a belated wish.
The idea is that when they think about it, they’ll remember and apologize. If they still don’t get it, you can ask, “What’s today’s date?”
3. It’s a let down that you forgot my special day
You can directly tell them that you’re disappointed they forgot your birthday.
Often, the people you consider close or important can completely forget your special day, which can really hurt.
As a way to respond to their oversight, you can let them know how their forgetfulness has made you feel.
4. Did you know you just missed my birthday?
To be fair, even the best of us sometimes forget important dates.
If you want to give the person a chance to explain why they missed your birthday, you can let them know they missed your special day and ask for a reason.
5. I’m a little hurt that you forgot my birthday
Sometimes, it’s better to directly share your feelings rather than dropping hints and waiting for them to notice they forgot your birthday.
When you let them know you’re hurt, they’ll likely want to apologize and make it up to you.
Just be sure to express your feelings honestly without trying to guilt them into doing something they don’t genuinely want to do.
6. It would mean a lot to me if you’d put special dates in your calendar
In some cases, you don’t need to explain how you feel. Instead, you can suggest a way for them to remember next time.
If they apologize for missing your birthday days later, you can recommend that they use an online calendar to set reminders for important dates.
7. How dare you forget birthdays
You can also say, “How could you forget my birthday?” to close friends or partners. However, it’s not a good idea to use this response if:
- You didn’t know each other well before.
- You’re in a long-distance relationship.
- You mentioned your birthday only once months ago, which people might not remember.
It’s also not a good response if, in a recent conversation, they thought you implied you weren’t celebrating your birthday, and you didn’t correct them.
8. I appreciate you thinking of me, even if it’s a bit late
Another way to respond to someone who forgot your birthday is to gracefully accept it and show that you’re not upset.
This works well if the belated wish is from someone you didn’t expect to remember your special day.
9. Just a reminder, my birthday was a few days ago
The truth is, birthdays aren’t national holidays, so it’s understandable if someone forgets, depending on your relationship with them.
To handle it, let them know your birthday has passed. This way, if they really care about you, they’ll remember it next time.
10. I’m sure you’ll be disappointed if I forget your birthday next time
When people say they’re bad with dates, it often means they don’t prioritize birthdays. With today’s technology, it’s hard to actually forget.
If someone misses your birthday, a good response is to imagine how they’d feel if the roles were reversed and see how they react.
11. My birthday came and went, but it’s no big deal
Even if you’re not big on celebrating birthdays, it can still mean a lot when a friend, partner, or family member remembers and does something, even if it’s small.
In that case, you can tell them it’s not a huge deal, but it would have meant a lot if they had remembered.
12. Looks like I’ll need to start reminding you a bit earlier
You can say, “Looks like I’ll need to start reminding you a bit earlier” when replying to someone who forgets your birthday.
This response has a touch of sarcasm but clearly conveys that you’re unhappy they keep forgetting your special day.
13. No surprise you didn’t remember. My birthday isn’t exactly a national holiday
Let’s keep it real: your birthday isn’t a national holiday, so you can’t expect everyone to remember it without a reminder.
However, saying, “No surprise you didn’t remember. My birthday isn’t exactly a national holiday,” can make them feel guilty about forgetting.
14. So my birthday was just another day for you? I’m not surprised
Imagine your birthday was yesterday, and even though you posted about it weeks ago, your friend still didn’t remember.
Now, you’re chatting today. You could casually say, “So, my birthday was just another day for you?”
15. I see you’ve forgotten my birthday again. I guess some things never change
If someone always forgets your birthday every year and does it again this time, you could say, “Looks like you forgot my birthday again. Some things never change.”
This may be sarcastic, but it’s a way to let them know you’re a bit hurt that they forgot.
16. Well, I see where I stand on your calendar
When someone forgets your birthday, it can show how much you matter to them. If you’re important, they’d remember it.
So, if someone you care about forgets, you might say, “Looks like I know where I stand on your calendar.”
17. I suppose forgetting is a sign of how unforgettable I am
If you want to respond sarcastically while showing disappointment, you could say, “Forgetting my birthday must mean I’m unforgettable.” It’s not really true, but the sarcasm is spot on.
18. Is there a reason you didn’t remember my birthday?
We know that there could be a reason they forgot. It wouldn’t be fair to make them feel guilty without letting them explain.
You could say, “Is there a reason you forgot my birthday?” especially if they usually remember it but missed it this time.
19. So when are you giving the ‘Sorry I Forgot Your Birthday’ speech?
You don’t have to point out that they forgot your birthday directly. Instead, you can casually say, “So when are you giving the ‘Sorry I Forgot Your Birthday’ speech?”
That should give them a hint that they missed your birthday. They may apologize or send a belated wish, but at that point, it might not matter much.
20. I had a good time anyway, thanks for reaching out
The truth is, whether or not you respond to someone who forgot your birthday doesn’t change the fact that it’s already passed.
Anything they do now won’t have the same impact as if they had remembered it thoughtfully.
That’s why saying, “I had a good time anyway, thanks for reaching out,” is a great way to reply when someone forgets your birthday and then sends a belated wish or apology.
Tips on What to Do When Someone Forgets Your Birthday
It’s natural to feel disappointed or hurt if your friend forgets your birthday. If this bothers you, we recommend that you tell them straightforwardly.
No need to give clues; use anecdotes and whatnot to make them catch it. Be upfront.
When you talk to them, use “I” statements to explain how their forgetfulness affected you.
Meanwhile, people may argue it a lot, but it doesn’t change the fact that everyone makes mistakes, and forgetting a birthday doesn’t necessarily mean your friend doesn’t care.
So, your first reaction should be from a place of the benefit of the doubt. It may not look like it, but first assume it was an honest mistake.
It is when you’re sure that you can now use some of the suggestions on our list.
Lastly, manage your expectations. Birthdays can be important to you, but they may not mean as much to others.
Try not to let forgetfulness affect your view of the friendship or your relationship. Although some are just unbelievable, like that of your spouse or parents.
The Bottom Line
People commonly handle this situation by mentioning what they did for their birthday and waiting to see how the person reacts.
They should eventually send a belated happy birthday message if they genuinely forgot. But this method doesn’t always work well. It’s better to be straightforward.
When replying to someone who forgot your birthday, just express your feelings honestly. Then again, you wonder if it’s worth it. Is it about making them feel bad or guilt-tripping them into a gift?
It’s okay to feel hurt, especially if you’ve never forgotten their birthday. Just don’t overthink it.
If they still don’t seem to care after you’ve reminded them, that is undoubtedly a sign to question their regard for you.
