chúc mừng sinh nhật
[t͡ɕʊwk͡p̚˧˦ mɨŋ˨˩ sïŋ˧˧ ɲət̚˧˨ʔ]
In Vietnamese, happy birthday is chúc mừng sinh nhật. If unsure, use chúc mừng sinh nhật. Wiktionary also lists sinh nhật vui vẻ nhé.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| chúc mừng sinh nhật | [t͡ɕʊwk͡p̚˧˦ mɨŋ˨˩ sïŋ˧˧ ɲət̚˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, narrow) [t͡ɕʊwk͡p̚˦˧˥ mɨŋ˦˩ ʂɨn˧˧ ɲək̚˨˩ʔ] (Huế, narrow) |
| sinh nhật vui vẻ nhé | [sïŋ˧˧ ɲət̚˧˨ʔ vuj˧˧ vɛ˧˩ ɲɛ˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
The phrases are used to offer good wishes for someone's birthday. To address a person directly, it is common to add a pronoun after the phrase, such as Chúc mừng sinh nhật em.
What does it mean word for word?
chúc mừng sinh nhật literally translates to 'congratulate/celebrate birth day'. The phrase sinh nhật vui vẻ means 'birthday happy' or 'joyful birthday'.
Which one should you use?
chúc mừng sinh nhật is the standard way to say happy birthday, whereas sinh nhật vui vẻ nhé is a more casual expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle nhé to the end of sinh nhật vui vẻ makes the wish sound softer, friendlier and more casual.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, birthdays are often celebrated by treating the whole group to a meal, rather than the birthday person receiving gifts alone.
- The word chúc may have evolved from the ancient custom of praying or blessing while kneeling or with the head lowered.
- The word vui in sinh nhật vui vẻ is a native Proto-Vietic word, unlike the borrowed Sino-Vietnamese terms used in the standard greeting.
Examples in context
- Chúc mừng sinh nhật, Tom.Happy birthday, Tom.This sentence shows how to use chúc mừng sinh nhật when addressing Tom.Tatoeba #13340724 by leucammieuvu, translation #6662978 by CK
- Chúc mừng sinh nhật, Muiriel!Happy birthday, Muiriel!This sentence shows how to use chúc mừng sinh nhật when addressing Muiriel.Tatoeba #5666 by trieuho, translation #355041 by human600
- Chúc mừng sinh nhật! Mong rằng mọi điều tốt đẹp sẽ đến với bạn trong ngày hôm nay và mãi mãi.Happy Birthday! May all the good things come to you today and forever.
- Sinh nhật vui vẻ như ý!Have a joyous birthday, just as you wish!
- Chúc mừng sinh nhật em.Happy birthday, dear.
Example conversation
Chi greets Tuấn on his birthday at a cafe.
- ChiChúc mừng sinh nhật Tuấn nhé!Happy birthday, Tuấn!
- Tuấn TuanCảm ơn Chi nhiều nhé.Thank you so much, Chi.
- ChiHôm nay cậu thấy thế nào?How are you feeling today?
- Tuấn TuanMình thấy rất vui.I feel very happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy birthday” translations and entries chúc mừng sinh nhật, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sinh, Nhật, vui, vẻ, nhé) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chúc, chúc mừng sinh nhật, mừng, sinh, vui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
