生日
shēngrì
The English phrase birthday is translated into Chinese as 生日 (shēngrì). If unsure, use 生日. Wiktionary also lists 生辰 (shēngchén).
Meaning: anniversary (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 生日 | shēngrì |
| 生辰 | shēngchén |
The word 生日 is the most common and widely used term for birthday. To talk about celebrating or commemorating a birthday, you can use the phrase 过生日. If you are talking about a birthday feast or a special meal prepared to celebrate someone's birthday, use 生日大餐. To wish someone a happy birthday, the most common way is to say 生日快乐 or more specifically, 祝你生日快乐.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 生日 is composed of 生 (to be born) and 日 (day).
Which one should you use?
While 生日 is the standard term, 生辰 is a more formal or literary term often used in historical contexts or formal literature.
How do you pronounce it?
shēngrì
Did you know?
- Historically, some Chinese people avoided celebrating their own birthday, as the day was seen as a time to honor the mother who endured the pain of childbirth.
- Eating 'long-life noodles' called 长寿面 is a common birthday custom because the uncut length of the noodle symbolizes a long and healthy life.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the most important 'birthday' for an elderly person is their 60th, as it marks the completion of one full cycle of the lunar calendar.
Examples in context
- 今天是我生日。Today is my birthday.This sentence is useful for stating that today is your birthday using 生日.Tatoeba #10114136 by GlossaMatik, translation #985108 by riccioberto
- 祝你生日快樂。Happy birthday to you.This sentence is useful for wishing someone a happy birthday using 生日.Tatoeba #13511810 by LeviHighway, translation #10117415 by espamatics
- 我祝你生日快乐。I wish you a happy birthday.This sentence is useful for saying 'I wish you a happy birthday' using 生日.Tatoeba #1490466 by sadhen, translation #897532 by CM
- 我的生日是六月十五号My birthday is on June 15th.
- 祝你生日快乐!Happy Birthday!
- 我今天过生日I am celebrating my birthday today.
- 109 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone about a party.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你是哪天生日？Nǐ shì nǎ tiān shēngrì?When is your birthday?
- 俊杰 Junjie我的生日是下週三。Wǒ de shēngrì shì xià zhōu sān.My birthday is next Wednesday.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我們那天要慶祝嗎？Nà wǒmen nà tiān yào qìngzhù ma?Then should we celebrate that day?
- 俊杰 Junjie好啊，謝謝妳。Hǎo a, xièxiè nǐ.Sure, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “birthday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
