妈妈，生日快乐
māma, shēngrì kuàilè
The English phrase "happy birthday mom" is translated into Chinese as 妈妈，生日快乐 (māma, shēngrì kuàilè).
妈妈，生日快乐 is a greeting used to wish one's mother a happy birthday. It is typically used in spoken greetings or when writing in cards and messages.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the address 妈妈 (Mom), the noun 生日 (birthday) and the adjective 快乐 (happy).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
妈妈，生日快乐 is an informal way to say "Mom, happy birthday!" For a more affectionate tone, you can say 亲爱的妈妈，生日快乐!, which means "Dear Mom, happy birthday!" If you wish to be more formal and respectful, use 母亲 (mǔqīn) instead of 妈妈 (māma), as seen in the phrases 母亲生日快乐! (Mother, happy birthday!) and 祝母亲生日快乐! (Wishing mother a happy birthday!).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, the adjective 快乐 (happy) follows the noun 生日 (birthday) to form the greeting, which differs from the English word order.
How do you pronounce it?
māma, shēngrì kuàilè
Did you know?
- Giving a clock as a birthday gift to your 妈妈 is considered a major taboo because the phrase 'giving a clock' (送钟) sounds exactly like the phrase for 'attending a funeral'.
- In many Chinese cultures, the 'birthday' greeting is often accompanied by the gift of 'longevity noodles' (长寿面, chángshòumiàn). These are long, uncut noodles that symbolize a long and healthy life for the person celebrating.
- While you might use 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè) for a friend, many people use the word 长寿 (chángshòu) to wish elders 'longevity' on their birthdays. It focuses more on wishing them a long life than just a happy day.
Examples in context
- 祝妈妈生日快乐，健康长寿，事事如意!Wishing Mom a happy birthday, good health, and may everything go as you wish!
- 亲爱的妈妈，祝你生日快乐，开心每一天!Dear Mom, wishing you a happy birthday and joy every day!
- 祝妈妈 [Name] 生日快乐，幸福满溢!Wishing Mom [Name] a happy birthday and overflowing happiness!
- 妈妈，生日快乐！Māma, shēngrì kuàilè!Happy birthday, mom!
- 妈妈，生日快乐，爱你！Māma, shēngrì kuàilè, ài nǐ!Happy birthday mom, love you!
Example conversation
Two siblings are preparing a cake for their mother.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen俊杰，快来看看这个蛋糕！Jùnjié, kuài lái kànkan zhège dàngāo!Junjie, come quickly and look at this cake!
- 俊杰 Junjie太漂亮了，她一定会喜欢的。Tài piàoliang le, tā yīdìng huì xǐhuan de.It's so beautiful, she will definitely love it.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我们一起说：妈妈，生日快乐！Wǒmen yīqǐ shuō: māma, shēngrì kuàilè!Let's say together: happy birthday, mom!
- 俊杰 Junjie好，我们现在就去给她惊喜。Hǎo, wǒmen xiànzài jiù qù gěi tā jīngxǐ.Okay, let's go surprise her now.
