“Happy birthday” in Chinese: how to say it and how to write it
Happy birthday!
“Happy birthday!” in Chinese is 生日快乐！, shēngrì kuàilè — roughly “shung-rr kwai-luh”. Word for word it is “birthday happy”: the day comes first, the wish second.
What “shengri kuaile” means
- 生日shēngrìbirthday
- 快乐kuàilèhappy, joyful
生日 is literally “birth day”, 快乐 is “happy”. Two sounds trip English speakers up. The r in rì is not the English “r” of “red”: curl the tip of your tongue back and buzz, a bit like the “s” in “pleasure”. And the e in shēng and lè is not “e” as in “bed” but a short “uh”, as in “the”.
How to wish someone a happy birthday in full
- 祝你生日快乐！zhùnǐshēngrìkuàilèI wish you a happy birthday!
- 生日快乐！这些花送给你。shēngrìkuàilè,zhèxiēhuāsònggěinǐhappy birthday! These flowers are for you
- 祝你身体健康！zhùnǐshēntǐjiànkāngI wish you good health!
祝 means “to wish”: 祝你… is “I wish you…”, and any wish can follow it. The Chinese “Happy Birthday” song is sung to the same tune as the English one, and the words are just 祝你生日快乐 four times over.
Talking about birthdays
- 你的生日是几月几号？nǐdeshēngrìshìjǐyuèjǐhàowhen is your birthday?
- 后天是我的生日。hòutiānshìwǒdeshēngrìthe day after tomorrow is my birthday
- 你怎么过生日？nǐzěnmeguòshēngrìhow do you celebrate your birthday?
- 谢谢你的礼物！xièxienǐdelǐwùthanks for the present!
A date goes from big to small — month, then day: 几月几号 is literally “which month, which number”. So May 20 is 五月二十号, “fifth month, twentieth”. How to say numbers and dates is in “Numbers in Chinese” and “Time in Chinese”.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “happy birthday” in Chinese?
“Happy birthday” in Chinese is 生日快乐, in pinyin shēngrì kuàilè.
How do you pronounce 生日快乐?
生日快乐 is read shēngrì kuàilè. The marks over the vowels are the tones: each syllable has its own melody, so listen to the recording on this page and repeat it.
How do you write “happy birthday” in Chinese characters?
生日快乐 is 4 characters. What each one means and how the phrase is put together is explained on this page.
What does 生日快乐 mean?
生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè) means “happy birthday”.
Wish someone well in Chinese
In the course wishes, greetings and dates come up in real dialogues, and you say them out loud. Start with the first lessons, free during the beta.
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