退休快乐
tuì xiū kuài lè
The Chinese phrase for "happy retirement" is 退休快乐 (tuì xiū kuài lè).
退休快乐 is used as a celebratory greeting or as a written message on cards and banners for someone retiring.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 退休 (retirement) and 快乐 (happy).
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding 祝你 (wish you) before the phrase makes it a complete, polite sentence, resulting in 祝你退休快乐.
How do you pronounce it?
tuì xiū kuài lè
Did you know?
- The character 休 in 退休 literally depicts a person leaning against a tree. This visual origin provides a poetic way to think about the meaning of 'retirement' as finding rest under the shade.
- While 退休快乐 is grammatically correct, many Chinese speakers prefer using 身体健康 (good health) in retirement wishes. In Chinese culture, wishing someone longevity and health is often considered more meaningful than wishing them 'happiness'.
- When writing this on a gift or a banner, it is common to use only four characters like 福寿康宁 (blessings, longevity, health, and peace) instead of the literal 'happy retirement'. This follows the traditional preference for four-character idioms in formal greetings.
Examples in context
- 祝您退休愉快！Wishing you a happy retirement!
- 祝您好好享受退休生活！Wishing you a great retirement life!
- 希望你退休后可以玩得尽兴！Hope you can have a great time after retirement!
- 祝你以后开启人生新篇章！Wishing you a new chapter in life ahead!
- 祝你退休快乐！Zhù nǐ tuìxiū kuàilè!I wish you a happy retirement!
- 老师，退休快乐。Lǎoshī, tuìxiū kuàilè.Teacher, happy retirement.
- 祝大家退休快乐，身体健康。Zhù dàjiā tuìxiū kuàilè, shēntǐ jiànkāng.I wish everyone a happy retirement and good health.
Example conversation
A colleague is visiting a former coworker on his last day of work.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，祝你退休快乐！Zhìqiáng, zhù nǐ tuìxiū kuàilè!Zhiqiang, happy retirement!
- 志强 Zhiqiang谢谢你，晓雯。Xièxiè nǐ, Xiǎowén.Thank you, Xiaowen.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen以后要多休息，享受生活。Yǐhòu yào duō xiūxí, xiǎngshòu shēnghuó.Rest more in the future and enjoy life.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我会的，谢谢关心。Wǒ huì de, xièxiè guānxīn.I will, thanks for your concern.
