Celebrations & good wishes

How to say Happy birthday in Chinese

生日快乐

shēngrì kuàilè

Literally: birth · day · happy

生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè) is “happy birthday” — the same words sung in the Chinese version of the birthday song. The word order is “birthday happy.”

Other ways to say it

  • 祝你生日快乐

    zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè

    wishing you a happy birthday

    Adds 祝你 (“I wish you”) to make it a proper wish — and it’s the full song lyric.

In a sentence

生日快乐!祝你天天开心。

Shēngrì kuàilè! Zhù nǐ tiāntiān kāixīn.

Happy birthday! Wishing you happiness every day.

How do you say "Happy birthday" in Chinese?

To say “happy birthday” in Chinese, say 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè). To make it a wish, say 祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè), “wishing you a happy birthday.”

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