How to Say "happy birthday" in Chinese
Learn how to say happy birthday in Chinese — the phrase, how to sing it, birthday customs in China, and bonus wishes to make someone feel special.
Quick Answer
shēng rì kuài lè
Tone: 1st–4th–4th–4th
The Chinese word for "happy birthday" is 生日快乐 (shēng rì kuài lè).
Quick Answer
“Happy Birthday” in Chinese is 生日快乐 (shēng rì kuài lè).
- 生日 (shēng rì) = birthday (literally: “born day”)
- 快乐 (kuài lè) = happy
How to Pronounce 生日快乐
All four syllables have falling tones (1st, 4th, 4th, 4th):
- 生 (shēng) — 1st tone: flat and high
- 日 (rì) — 4th tone: sharp falling
- 快 (kuài) — 4th tone: sharp falling
- 乐 (lè) — 4th tone: sharp falling
Say it: “SHUNG-rr KWY-luh” — firm and celebratory.
The Birthday Song
The Chinese “Happy Birthday” song uses the same melody as the English version, but with Chinese words:
祝你生日快乐，祝你生日快乐，祝你生日快乐，祝你生日快乐！ Zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè × 4 “Wishing you a happy birthday” (repeated four times)
Additional Birthday Wishes
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 祝你生日快乐 | zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè | Wishing you a happy birthday |
| 生日快乐，身体健康！ | shēng rì kuài lè, shēn tǐ jiàn kāng | Happy birthday, good health! |
| 希望你的愿望都成真 | xī wàng nǐ de yuàn wàng dōu chéng zhēn | Hope all your wishes come true |
| 越来越漂亮/帅 | yuè lái yuè piào liang/shuài | Getting more beautiful/handsome every year |
| 万事如意 | wàn shì rú yì | May everything go as you wish |
Birthday Customs in China
Birthday noodles (长寿面 cháng shòu miàn): On birthdays — especially for elders — it’s traditional to eat long noodles. The length symbolizes longevity. Cutting the noodles is considered bad luck.
Red eggs: In some regions, hard-boiled eggs dyed red are given to babies on their first month birthday (满月 mǎn yuè) — eggs symbolize new life and continuity.
Western-style birthday cakes (生日蛋糕 shēng rì dàn gāo) are now widely popular in urban China, with elaborate custom cakes from bakeries.
Age counting: Traditional Chinese age counting (虚岁 xū suì) counts you as one year old at birth and adds a year each Chinese New Year — so you might be “one year older” in the Chinese system than in the Western system.
Examples in Sentences
- 生日快乐！希望你今天很开心！ — Shēng rì kuài lè! Xī wàng nǐ jīn tiān hěn kāi xīn! — “Happy birthday! Hope you have a wonderful day!”
- 祝你生日快乐，越来越漂亮！ — Zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè, yuè lái yuè piào liang! — “Happy birthday — may you grow more beautiful each year!”
- 我送你一个蛋糕！生日快乐！ — Wǒ sòng nǐ yī gè dàn gāo! Shēng rì kuài lè! — “I got you a cake! Happy birthday!”
Practice
Sing (or say) the birthday song in Chinese to someone today:
祝你生日快乐！祝你生日快乐！祝你生日快乐！祝你生日快乐！
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