90+ 40th Birthday Wishes (Heartfelt, Short & Funny)
Turning forty is a milestone of experience, gratitude and fresh purpose. These 40th birthday wishes will help you honor a friend, brother, sister, spouse or colleague with words that are warm, respectful and sincere, from a short text to a full card message.
Tips for Writing a 40th Birthday Message
- Celebrate wisdom. Forty is about experience gained, not years lost.
- Mention a memory. A shared story makes the message personal.
- Keep humor gentle. A light joke about age is welcome, as long as it is kind.
- Add a good wish. Health, peace and many more years are always appreciated.
40th Birthday Wishes and Messages
- Happy 40th birthday! May this new decade bring you health, peace and everything you hope for.
- Forty years of you have made the world better. Here is to many more.
- Life truly begins with wisdom, and you have plenty of it. Happy 40th!
- May the next chapter be your best one yet. Happy birthday!
- You have grown, learned and given so much. I am proud to know you.
- Forty is not the end of youth; it is the beginning of wisdom. Congratulations!
- Wishing you a year full of good health, good company and good news.
- You carry forty years of kindness with grace. Happy birthday.
- May your 40s be your most peaceful and fulfilling decade.
- Happy birthday! Your strength and character inspire everyone around you.
- Forty looks wonderful on you. Stay blessed.
- May every year ahead bring you more reasons to be grateful.
Birthday Messages for 40th
- Turning 40 is a gift. Not everyone gets to see this day, so let us be grateful.
- Your hard work, patience and goodness have brought you here. Well done.
- Forty years of lessons, laughter and love. Happy birthday!
- Thank you for being a pillar of support to those who love you.
- May the wisdom you have gained guide you to even better days.
- Your family is blessed to have you. Happy 40th birthday!
- May you always be surrounded by people who value you.
- Here is to a decade of new beginnings. Happy birthday.
- You have done so much already, and the best is still ahead.
- Happy 40th! Keep being the wonderful person you are.

40th Birthday Wishes for Friend
- Happy 40th to my dear friend. Thank you for forty years of being you and for every year of friendship.
- Our friendship is one of life’s greatest blessings. Happy birthday!
- You have been there through every season. May you be rewarded with all that is good.
- Forty and fabulous, and still my favorite person to talk to.
- Happy birthday to a friend who is honest, loyal and always kind.
- Thank you for being a friend who feels like family.
- May your 40s bring you peace, laughter and success.
- I am so grateful that our paths crossed. Happy 40th!
- You make everyone around you better. Happy birthday, my friend.
- Here is to many more years of friendship and good memories.
Happy 40th Birthday Wishes for a Friend: Funny and Clean
- Welcome to 40! You are now officially old enough to know better and young enough to forget.
- Forty is the new twenty-nine with better judgment and worse knees.
- You are not getting older; you are becoming a classic.
- Congratulations on 40. Your back is already celebrating.
- Remember, you are only as old as the number of times you say “back in my day.”
- Forty! Time to start every sentence with “In my experience.”
- They say life begins at 40. So does your need for reading glasses.
- Happy 40th! You are aging like a fine antique: valuable and full of stories.
- You made it to 40 with your humor intact. That is the real achievement.
- May your 40s be filled with early bedtimes and good health.
40th Birthday Message to a Friend: Short Notes
- Happy 40th! So happy to know you.
- Forty and thriving!
- Wishing you a year of joy and health.
- Cheers to 40 wonderful years.
- May your 40s be your best.
- Happy birthday, dear friend.
- Forty looks great on you.
- Many happy returns.
40th Birthday Wishes for Family
- To my brother: Forty years of watching over me. Thank you, and happy birthday.
- To my sister: You have been strong, kind and generous. Happy 40th!
- To my husband/wife: Thank you for the years of loyalty and love. May the coming ones be even better.
- To my son/daughter: I am so proud of the person you have become. Happy 40th.
- To my cousin: Another year, another reason to cherish our family.
- To my colleague: Wishing you a wonderful year and a happy, healthy decade.
Good Wishes for the Next Decade
- May you be blessed with health, wisdom and honest success.
- May your family always bring you peace and joy.
- May the road ahead be gentle and your heart be at ease.
- May every goal you set be met with courage and patience.
- May your days be full of goodness, kindness and gratitude.
- May you be surrounded by people who love you.
What to Write in a 40th Birthday Card
Sample 1: Dear Ahmed, happy 40th birthday! Thank you for being a loyal and kind friend. May this decade bring you good health, peace and success. Warm wishes, Yusuf.
Sample 2: Happy 40th, Sara! Forty years of wisdom and warmth, and you wear them beautifully. Wishing you a year of joy and blessings. With love, Hina.
Sample 3: Dear colleague, congratulations on turning 40! It is a pleasure working with you. May the year ahead be filled with happiness and good health. Best wishes, Omar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you write in a 40th birthday card?
Celebrate their wisdom and character, mention a memory, and close with a warm wish for the next decade.
What is a good 40th birthday wish for a friend?
“Happy 40th! Thank you for your friendship. May your next decade bring you health, peace and joy.”
Can I joke about age in a 40th birthday message?
Light, kind humor is fine if you know the person enjoys it. Always pair a joke with a sincere wish.
Is 40 a special birthday?
Yes. Many people see it as a milestone of maturity, reflection and new goals.
Every milestone deserves kind words. You may also like our 50th birthday wishes for friend, 60th birthday wishes for friend, 20th birthday wishes, funny birthday wishes for best friend, and the full Kind Words collection.
