How to say “happy birthday” in Chinese

shēngrì kuàilè

“happy birthday”

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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Word by word

shēngrì

birthday

kuàilè

happy / joyful

Tone tip

快乐 (kuàilè, 'happy') attaches to many occasions: 新年快乐 (Happy New Year), 节日快乐 (happy holidays).

In a sentence

Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!

Happy birthday to you!

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say "happy birthday" in Chinese?+

"happy birthday" in Mandarin Chinese is 生日快乐, pronounced shēngrì kuàilè. 快乐 (kuàilè, 'happy') attaches to many occasions: 新年快乐 (Happy New Year), 节日快乐 (happy holidays).

What does 生日快乐 mean literally?+

生日快乐 breaks down as 生日 (shēngrì) = birthday, 快乐 (kuàilè) = happy / joyful. Together it means "happy birthday".

How do I get the tones right in shēngrì kuàilè?+

快乐 (kuàilè, 'happy') attaches to many occasions: 新年快乐 (Happy New Year), 节日快乐 (happy holidays).

More phrases like this

Master the tones behind it

Mandarin tones explained

What each tone sounds like and why it matters.

Tone sandhi rules

Why some tones change in connected speech.

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See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.