A friend’s birthday is coming up and you wish to show off your new Chinese language skills? Here is how you can wish them a Happy Birthday in Chinese!
The simplest way that you can wish someone a Happy Birthday in Chinese is 生日快乐, or “shēngrì kuàilè”. 生日 (shēngrì) means “birthday,” and 快乐 (kuàilè) which means “happy.” This can be translated literally to: birthday happy!
You will also hear people saying: 祝你生日快乐 or “zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè”. This expression makes use of “祝 (zhù) and 你 (nǐ), meaning “wish” and “you,”, and when used in the to wish someone a Happy Birthday translates literally to “Wish you Birthday Happy”
There are however also certain examples where you can be more specific!
For Children
祝你生日快乐，学业有成!, “zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, xuéyèyǒuchéng!”
Translation: “Happy birthday! May you achieve success in your studies!”
For Young Women
祝你生日快乐，青春永驻！”zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, qīngchūnyǒngzhù!”
Translation: “Happy Birthday! May you stay young forever!”
For Men
祝你生日快乐，事业有成！”zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, shìyèyǒuchéng!”
Translation: “Happy birthday! Wishing you professional success!”
For Older People
祝您生日快乐，长命百岁！”zhù nín shēngrì kuàilè, chángmìngbǎisuì!”
Translation: “Happy birthday! May you live to be a hundred years old!”
If you wish to go the full way, and to sing them the Happy Birthday Song, all you need to do is master the phrase: “祝你生日快乐” (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè), you already know everything you need! Simply sing “zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè” four times to the tune of the English-language Birthday Song, and you have got it! You just need to practice your best singing voice!
Interested in learning more about some key Chinese phrases? Discover how to say yes and no in one of our blogs here.
