生日快乐
shēngrì kuàilèsimplified characters
In simplified Chinese "happy birthday" is 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè). It is the standard birthday greeting in mainland China. It is also called 祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè).
Meaning: birthday greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 生日快乐 | shēngrì kuàilè | simplified characters |
| 祝你生日快乐 | zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè | wishing |
生日 (shēngrì) means "birthday" and 快乐 (kuàilè) means "happy". For a longer wish say 祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè), "I wish you a happy birthday".
Which one should you use?
The same greeting in traditional characters is 生日快樂. Only the last character is different, since 乐 (lè) is simplified from 樂.
When do people say it?
Chinese families often eat long noodles on a birthday, called 长寿面 (chángshòu miàn), as a wish for a long life.
Did you know?
- Simplified characters came into official use in mainland China in the 1950s and 1960s, while Taiwan and Hong Kong kept the traditional forms.
Examples in context
- 生日快乐！shēngrì kuàilè!Happy birthday!
- 祝你生日快乐，天天开心。zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè, tiāntiān kāixīn.Happy birthday, and be happy every day.
- 今天是我的生日。jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì.Today is my birthday.
Example conversation
Colleagues Yi and Hong celebrate Hong's birthday at the office.
- Yi洪姐，生日快乐！Hóng jiě, shēngrì kuàilè!Happy birthday, Sister Hong!
- Hong谢谢你！xièxie nǐ!Thank you!
- Yi来吃蛋糕吧。lái chī dàngāo ba.Come and have some cake.
