Chinese Conversation · Level 3
86 words
Chinese word
生日快乐
Pronunciation
Pinyinshēng rì kuài lè
Meaning
- interjectionhappy birthday
Example
小王，生日快乐！xiǎo wáng shēng rì kuài lè
Xiao Wang, happy birthday!
More examples
生日那天，妈妈在卡片上写着：生日快乐。shēng rì nà tiān mā mā zài kǎ piàn shàng xiě zhe shēng rì kuài lè
On her birthday, Mom wrote "Happy Birthday" on a card.
Core concept
A compact spoken blessing that links a person's birthday with wishes for a joyful day.
Common phrases
祝你生日快乐zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè
wish you a happy birthday
在卡片上写生日快乐zài kǎ piàn shàng xiě shēng rì kuài lè
write happy birthday on a card
跟大家说生日快乐gēn dà jiā shuō shēng rì kuài lè
say happy birthday to everyone
Similar words
祝你生日快乐zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè: A formal written birthday greeting that explicitly wishes the recipient happiness.
祝您生日快乐zhù nín shēng rì kuài lè: A respectful birthday greeting for an older person or someone of higher status.
恭喜gōng xǐ: A brief congratulatory greeting for a happy event such as a wedding or promotion.
新年快乐xīn nián kuài lè: A New Year greeting that wishes someone happiness in the coming year.
Definition in Chinese
在某人生日时用来表示庆贺并希望对方快乐的简短祝词。zài mǒu rén shēng rì shí yòng lái biǎo shì qìng hè bìng xī wàng duì fāng kuài lè de jián duǎn zhù cí
Word origin
生日 (shēngrì, "birthday") + 快乐 (kuàilè, "happy") form a conventional wish for a joyful birthday.
Usage tips
- In a card or message, Chinese can add a short verb meaning "wish" before this phrase to make the well-wish explicit, while the shorter form remains natural in speech.