Happy Birthday & Birthdays in Chinese 生日
shēngrì
Happy birthday in Chinese is 生日快乐 (shēng rì kuài lè).
Also searched for as: happy birthday, happy birthday pinyin, birthday wishes, birthday.
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The way to say happy birthday in Chinese is 生日快乐 (shēng rì kuài lè), and it's sung to the same tune as the English birthday song. This topic covers everything from 生日蛋糕 (shēng rì dàn gāo) and 许愿 (xǔ yuàn), making a wish, to the traditional 长寿面 (cháng shòu miàn), long noodles eaten for a long life. Many families combine both customs, with cake for the party and noodles at home.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 生日快乐 | shēng rì kuài lè | happy birthday |
| 生日蛋糕 | shēng rì dàn gāo | birthday cake |
| 蜡烛 | là zhú | candle |
| 许愿 | xǔ yuàn | to make a wish |
| 吹 | chuī | to blow |
| 礼物 | lǐ wù | present |
| 派对 | pài duì | party |
| 惊喜 | jīng xǐ | surprise |
| 邀请 | yāo qǐng | to invite |
| 庆祝 | qìng zhù | to celebrate |
| 寿星 | shòu xīng | birthday person |
| 长寿面 | cháng shòu miàn | longevity noodles |
| 贺卡 | hè kǎ | greeting card |
| 祝福 | zhù fú | blessing; good wishes |
| 过生日 | guò shēng rì | to have a birthday |
Usage tips
- 过生日 (guò shēng rì) is the verb phrase for having or celebrating a birthday: 我明天过生日 (wǒ míng tiān guò shēng rì), 'it's my birthday tomorrow'.
- 寿星 (shòu xīng) originally refers to the god of longevity, but at a party it's a playful name for the birthday boy or girl.
- Longevity noodles, 长寿面 (cháng shòu miàn), are traditionally not cut, since a long unbroken noodle stands for a long life.
Common mistakes
- Giving a clock as a present: 送钟 (sòng zhōng), 'give a clock', sounds like 送终 (sòng zhōng), being with someone at their death. Choose another gift.
- Translating 'have a party' as 有派对: say 开派对 (kāi pài duì) or 办派对 (bàn pài duì).
Mini dialogue
- A生日快乐！这是给你的礼物。Shēng rì kuài lè! Zhè shì gěi nǐ de lǐ wù.Happy birthday! This is for you.
- B谢谢！真是个惊喜！Xiè xie! Zhēn shì ge jīng xǐ!Thank you! What a surprise!
- A快许愿，然后吹蜡烛吧！Kuài xǔ yuàn, rán hòu chuī là zhú ba!Quick, make a wish and blow out the candles!
- B好，大家一起吃蛋糕！Hǎo, dà jiā yī qǐ chī dàn gāo!OK, cake for everyone!
Example sentences
- 生日快乐！祝你天天开心！Happy birthday! Wishing you happiness every day!
- 妈妈给我买了生日蛋糕。Mum bought me a birthday cake.
- 蛋糕上有二十根蜡烛。There are twenty candles on the cake.
- 吹蜡烛之前先许愿。Make a wish before you blow out the candles.
- 一起吹蜡烛吧！Let's blow out the candles together!
- 这是给你的生日礼物。This is your birthday present.
- 周六我开生日派对。I'm having a birthday party on Saturday.
- 朋友们给了我一个惊喜。My friends gave me a surprise.
- 我想邀请你来我家。I'd like to invite you to my house.
- 我们去餐厅庆祝吧。Let's go to a restaurant to celebrate.
- 今天你是寿星，你先吃！You're the birthday star today, you eat first!
- 过生日要吃长寿面。You eat longevity noodles on your birthday.
- 我给她写了一张贺卡。I wrote her a card.
- 谢谢大家的祝福！Thank you all for your good wishes!
- 你什么时候过生日？When is your birthday?
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Birthdays speaking island has 8 everyday questions about birthdays to prepare your own answers to.