你的生日是什么时候
nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou
The phrase "when your birthday is" in Chinese is 你的生日是什么时候 (nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou).
This phrase is used to ask someone for the date of their birth. Another natural way to ask this is 你什么时候过生日, which translates to "when do you celebrate your birthday".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你的生日是什么时候 literally translates to "your birthday is what time".
Which one should you use?
Another natural way to ask this is 你什么时候过生日.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To make the question more polite and respectful, especially when addressing elders or superiors, you can replace 你 (nǐ) with 您 (nín) to say 您的生日是什么时候. For providing your own answer, the construction 我出生于[year]年[month]月[day]日 is used for formal settings, whereas 我的生日是[month]月[day]号 is an informal way to state your birthday, using 号 instead of 日.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou
Did you know?
- Traditional Chinese birthday celebrations often involve eating 'long-life noodles' 长寿面, which are served uncut to symbolize a long life.
- In China, the tradition of celebrating birthdays is historically linked to the 'lunar calendar', meaning some people have two birthdays: one based on the solar calendar and one based on the moon.
- In Chinese culture, asking for a person's birthday can sometimes be a precursor to checking their 'Bazi', or the four pillars of destiny, to predict their fortune.
Examples in context
- 我出生于一九九五年一月十日。I was born on January 10th, 1995.
- 你的生日是什么时候？Nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou?When is your birthday?
- 我想知道你的生日是什么时候。Wǒ xiǎng zhīdào nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou.I want to know when your birthday is.
- 请问你的生日是什么时候？Qǐngwèn nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou?May I ask when your birthday is?
Example conversation
Two friends are chatting about upcoming celebrations.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，你的生日是什么时候？Hàorán, nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou?Haoran, when is your birthday?
- 浩然 Haoran我的生日是十月五号。Wǒ de shēngrì shì shí yuè wǔ hào.My birthday is October 5th.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那那天我们一起吃饭吧！Nà nèitiān wǒmen yīqǐ chīfàn ba!Then let's eat together that day!
- 浩然 Haoran好啊，没问题。Hǎo a, méi wèntí.Sure, no problem.
