Happy Birthday in Chinese: 生日快乐, Wishes, Songs & Traditions

Birthday celebrations are a great way to learn useful Chinese.

The most common way to say “Happy Birthday!” in Chinese is:

生日快乐！
Shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy Birthday!

You can also say:

祝你生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!
Wishing you a happy birthday!

If you are learning Chinese or teaching it to children, these two phrases are a great place to start.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to say Happy Birthday in Chinese, useful birthday wishes, birthday vocabulary, the Chinese Happy Birthday song, and some traditional Chinese birthday customs.

How Do You Say “Happy Birthday” in Chinese?

生日快乐！

生日快乐
shēngrì kuàilè
Happy Birthday!

This is the simplest and most common birthday greeting in Mandarin Chinese.

Let’s look at the two main words:

• 生日 (shēngrì) = birthday
• 快乐 (kuàilè) = happy

So:

You can simply say 生日快乐！ when you wish someone a happy birthday.

祝你生日快乐！

祝你生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!
Wishing you a happy birthday!

Here, 祝你 (zhù nǐ) means “wish you.”

So the sentence means:

This is also very common, especially in birthday cards, messages, and the Chinese birthday song.

What should you use?

For everyday conversation, 生日快乐！ is perfect.

If you want to make it a complete birthday wish, use:

祝你生日快乐！

How Do You Wish an Older Person a Happy Birthday?

Chinese has a respectful form of “you”:

您 (nín)

You can use it when speaking to an older person, teacher, or someone you want to address politely.

For example:

祝您生日快乐！
Zhù nín shēngrì kuàilè!
Wishing you a happy birthday!

You can add a wish for good health:

祝您生日快乐，身体健康！
Zhù nín shēngrì kuàilè, shēntǐ jiànkāng!
Wishing you a happy birthday and good health! 

Easy Birthday Wishes in Chinese

You don’t have to stop at 生日快乐. Here are some simple wishes that children and beginning Chinese learners can use.

天天开心

天天开心！
Tiāntiān kāixīn!
Be happy every day!

• 天天 = every day
• 开心 = happy

You can say:

祝你生日快乐，天天开心！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, tiāntiān kāixīn!
Happy Birthday! Wishing you happiness every day!

心想事成

心想事成！
Xīn xiǎng shì chéng!
May your wishes come true!

This is a common Chinese good wish. It is especially suitable for birthday cards and messages.

学习进步

学习进步！
Xuéxí jìnbù!
Wish you success in your studies!

This is a useful birthday wish for school-age children.

You could write:

祝你生日快乐，学习进步！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, xuéxí jìnbù!
Happy Birthday! Wishing you success in your studies!

身体健康

身体健康！
Shēntǐ jiànkāng!
Wishing you good health!

This wish is especially common when speaking to older family members.

Birthday Wishes for Kids, Friends and Family

Here are a few easy combinations.

For a child

生日快乐！天天开心！
Shēngrì kuàilè! Tiāntiān kāixīn!
Happy Birthday! Be happy every day!

To a friend

祝你生日快乐，天天开心！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, tiāntiān kāixīn!
Happy Birthday! Wishing you happiness every day!

For a school-age child

祝你生日快乐，学习进步！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, xuéxí jìnbù!
Happy Birthday! Wishing you success in your studies!

To an older family member

祝您生日快乐，身体健康！
Zhù nín shēngrì kuàilè, shēntǐ jiànkāng!
Wishing you a happy birthday and good health!

How to Say Someone’s Age in Chinese

Birthdays are a perfect time to practice Chinese numbers.

To say someone’s age, use:

For example:

• 五岁 = 5 years old
• 八岁 = 8 years old
• 十岁 = 10 years old
• 十二岁 = 12 years old

You can put the age into a birthday wish:

祝你十岁生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shí suì shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy 10th Birthday!

You can change 十 to any number:

祝你八岁生日快乐！
Happy 8th Birthday!

祝你十二岁生日快乐！
Happy 12th Birthday!

This is a great way to connect birthday vocabulary with Chinese numbers.

Learn more about Chinese numbers from 1–100 →

Chinese Birthday Vocabulary

Here are some useful Chinese words for talking about birthdays.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
生日	shēngrì	birthday
快乐	kuàilè	happy
祝	zhù	to wish
蛋糕	dàngāo	cake
生日蛋糕	shēngrì dàngāo	birthday cake
蜡烛	làzhú	candle
礼物	lǐwù	gift
气球	qìqiú	balloon
派对	pàiduì	party
唱歌	chànggē	sing
许愿	xǔyuàn	make a wish
年龄	niánlíng	age
岁	suì	years old
长寿面	chángshòu miàn	longevity noodles

Try putting some of these words together:

生日蛋糕
shēngrì dàngāo
birthday cake

生日礼物
shēngrì lǐwù
birthday gift

生日派对
shēngrì pàiduì
birthday party

The Happy Birthday Song in Chinese

The Chinese Happy Birthday song uses the familiar Happy Birthday melody.

The main line is:

祝你生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy Birthday to you!

It is repeated as you sing.

If you already know the English birthday song, you already know the melody. You just need to learn the Chinese words.

This makes Happy Birthday one of the easiest Chinese songs for children to learn.

A Simple Birthday Conversation in Chinese

Here is a short conversation children can practice.

A: 生日快乐！
Shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy Birthday!

B: 谢谢！
Xièxie!
Thank you!

A: 这是给你的礼物。
Zhè shì gěi nǐ de lǐwù.
This is a gift for you.

B: 谢谢！
Xièxie!
Thank you!

Key sentence

谢谢！
Xièxie!
Thank you!

That’s all you need when someone wishes you a happy birthday.

How Do You Reply to “Happy Birthday” in Chinese?

Someone says:

生日快乐！
Happy Birthday!

You can simply reply:

谢谢！
Xièxie!
Thank you!

You can also say:

谢谢你！
Xièxie nǐ!
Thank you!

For children, 谢谢！ is the easiest response to learn.

Chinese Birthday Traditions

Birthday customs can vary a lot between families, generations, and regions.

Some families celebrate with a large party. Others prefer a small family meal.

Today, many Chinese children have birthday parties with cake, candles, presents, and games, just like children in many other countries.

Some traditional birthday customs are still important in certain families.

Longevity

Birthday wishes often include ideas about health, happiness, and a long life.

For example:

身体健康 means “good health.”

长寿 means “longevity” or “a long life.”

This is one reason why 长寿面, longevity noodles, are connected with birthdays.

Birthday Gifts in Chinese Culture

Gift customs in China can be interesting because Chinese culture often pays attention to the sounds and meanings of words.

Some traditional gift taboos come from wordplay.

For example:

Clock

钟 (zhōng) means clock.

It sounds similar to 终 (zhōng), which can be associated with ending or death.

For this reason, some people avoid giving clocks as gifts, especially to older people.

Pear

梨 (lí) means pear.

It sounds like 离 (lí), meaning to separate or leave.

Some people therefore avoid giving pears in situations where separation would be an unwanted association.

Umbrella

伞 (sǎn) means umbrella.

It sounds similar to 散 (sàn), which can mean to scatter or separate.

Some people therefore avoid umbrellas as gifts in certain situations.

These are traditional cultural associations. They are not rules that every Chinese person follows.

Gift customs can be different from one family or generation to another.

A Few Useful Birthday Sentences

Here are some sentences you can use right away.

Happy Birthday!

生日快乐！
Shēngrì kuàilè!

Wishing you a happy birthday!

祝你生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!

Wishing you a happy birthday and good health!

祝您生日快乐，身体健康！
Zhù nín shēngrì kuàilè, shēntǐ jiànkāng!

Happy Birthday! Be happy every day!

祝你生日快乐，天天开心！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, tiāntiān kāixīn!

May your wishes come true!

心想事成！
Xīn xiǎng shì chéng!

Thank you!

谢谢！
Xièxie!

Frequently Asked Questions About Happy Birthday in Chinese

How do you say “Happy Birthday” in Chinese?

The most common way is:

生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè)

It means “Happy Birthday!”

How do you say “Happy Birthday to you” in Chinese?

You can say:

祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè)

It means “Wishing you a happy birthday” and is also used in the Chinese Happy Birthday song.

What does 生日快乐 mean?

生日 (shēngrì) means “birthday” and 快乐 (kuàilè) means “happy.”
Together, 生日快乐 means “Happy Birthday.”

How do you say “birthday” in Chinese?

生日 (shēngrì) means birthday.

How do you say “birthday cake” in Chinese?

生日蛋糕 (shēngrì dàngāo) means birthday cake.

How do you say “Happy Birthday” to an older person in Chinese?

Use the respectful word 您 (nín):

祝您生日快乐！
Zhù nín shēngrì kuàilè!

You can also add:

身体健康！
Shēntǐ jiànkāng!
Wishing you good health!

How do you reply to “Happy Birthday” in Chinese?

Simply say:
谢谢！(xièxie)
Thank you!

What is the Chinese Happy Birthday song?

The Chinese Happy Birthday song uses the familiar Happy Birthday melody. The main words are:
祝你生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!

What do Chinese people eat on birthdays?

Birthday foods vary by family and region. 长寿面 (chángshòu miàn), or longevity noodles, are traditionally associated with a long life. Birthday cake is also very common today, especially at children’s birthday parties.

Make Chinese Birthday Learning Fun

Birthdays are a wonderful topic for beginner Chinese because children can learn language they can actually use.

Start with just three phrases:

生日快乐！
Happy Birthday!

祝你生日快乐！
Wishing you a happy birthday!

谢谢！
Thank you!

Then add birthday vocabulary, numbers, ages, songs, and simple conversations.

For children learning Chinese, these small pieces of language are easier to remember when they are connected to a real event.

And what could be more memorable than singing 生日快乐 while blowing out the candles? 🎂

Chinese Birthday Resources for Kids

Planning a Chinese birthday party or teaching birthday vocabulary in your classroom?

Our Chinese birthday printables can help children see, read, and use the language while they celebrate.

• Chinese Lantern ‘Happy Birthday’ Buntings – Digital Printable
• Chinese Calligraphy ‘Happy Birthday’ Bunting – Digital Printable

You can also explore our other Chinese learning resources for kids, including printable vocabulary activities, flashcards, songs, and beginner-friendly learning materials.

 

• Chinese Numbers for Kids
• Learning Chinese Numbers Booklet
• Numbers 1-10 in Chinese Practice Workbook
• Numbers 1-10 Flashcards
• Number 1-100 Count and Trace Flashcards

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