Celebrations
How to say “happy birthday” in Chinese
“生日快乐” (shēngrì kuàilè) is happy birthday. 生日 means birthday and 快乐 means happy. You can start with “祝你” (zhù nǐ, I wish you): “祝你生日快乐”. For an older person you can wish a long life.
In Chinese
生日快乐
shēngrì kuàilè
Happy birthday
Other ways to say “happy birthday”
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祝你生日快乐
zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè
I wish you a happy birthday
The full, warm form.
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长命百岁
chángmìng bǎi suì
May you live to a hundred
A blessing for older people.
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身体健康
shēntǐ jiànkāng
Good health
A wish for health, often added for elders.
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天天开心
tiāntiān kāixīn
Be happy every day
Friendly and modern.
Example sentences
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妈妈，生日快乐！
māma, shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy birthday, Mum!
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祝你生日快乐，天天开心。
zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, tiāntiān kāixīn.
Happy birthday, I wish you happiness every day.
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今天是我的生日。
jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì.
Today is my birthday.
How to reply
谢谢！
xièxie!
Thank you!
Good to know
- A traditional birthday food is long noodles (长寿面, chángshòu miàn), which stand for a long life.
- Many people celebrate a Chinese-calendar birthday for older relatives, so ask which date they use.
Questions about “happy birthday” in Chinese
How do you say “happy birthday” in Chinese?
“happy birthday” in Chinese is “生日快乐” (Happy birthday). It is written in pinyin as shēngrì kuàilè. You can also say “祝你生日快乐”, “长命百岁”, “身体健康”.
How do you pronounce “生日快乐” in Chinese?
“生日快乐” is pronounced shēngrì kuàilè. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “happy birthday” in Chinese?
“祝你生日快乐” (I wish you a happy birthday): the full, warm form. “长命百岁” (May you live to a hundred): a blessing for older people. “身体健康” (Good health): a wish for health, often added for elders. “天天开心” (Be happy every day): friendly and modern.
How do you reply to “生日快乐”?
A natural reply is “谢谢！” (Thank you!).
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