Mandarin Chinese is an exciting language to learn, and it can be used widely. With little effort, you can remember simple Mandarin Chinese words and use them to construct sentences. Even foreigners can easily learn to wish happy birthday in Mandarin Chinese if they are familiar with only a few simple words.
This article will help you learn how to wish “happy birthday” in Mandarin Chinese.
Wishing “Happy Birthday” In Mandarin Chinese
There are several ways of wishing “happy birthday” in Mandarin Chinese. Let us have a brief look.
One of the most common and simple Mandarin Chinese words for beginners is shēng rì (生日), meaning “birthday.” Those who have already started learning Mandarin Chinese should be familiar with this word.
A way of wishing “happy birthday” in Mandarin Chinese is by saying shēng rì kuài lè (生日快乐), meaning exactly the same thing, “happy birthday.” It is a basic sentence in the Mandarin Chinese language often practiced by beginners. If you want to wish someone “happy birthday” in Mandarin Chinese in a proper and complete sentence, then you would say zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè (祝你生日快乐), which simply means “happy birthday to you.”
The 'Happy Birthday' Song In Mandarin Chinese
The famous “happy birthday” song has many versions worldwide. The most widely used version is the English one which is very easy to sing and has a simple meaning. However, there are additional good wishes for the birthday person in the Mandarin Chinese version.
The birthday song in English goes like this:
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear ______
Happy birthday to you
The second part goes like this:
May the God bless you
May the God bless you
May the good Lord be with you
And happiness too
And again, back to the first paragraph.
So, the English version of the “happy birthday” song is quite easy and has a simple tune.
The Mandarin Chinese version of the song goes like this:
zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè (祝你生日快乐)
(Happy birthday to you)
zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè (祝你生日快乐)
(Happy birthday to you)
zhù nǐ xìng fú, zhù nǐ jiàn kāng (祝你幸福, 祝你健康)
(Wish you happiness, wish you good health)
zhù nǐ qián tú guāng míng (祝你前途光明)
(Wish your future is bright)
The song's second half also flows in the same manner, except for a minor change in the last line. The stanza goes like this:
zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè (祝你生日快乐)
(Happy birthday to you)
zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè (祝你生日快乐)
(Happy birthday to you)
zhù nǐ xìng fú, zhù nǐ jiàn kāng (祝你幸福, 祝你健康)
(Wish you happiness, wish you good health)
yǒu gè wēn nuǎn jiā tíng (有个温暖家庭)
(And have a warm/cozy family.)
You can learn this song to wish someone “happy birthday” in Mandarin Chinese.
Other Ways of Wishing ‘Happy Birthday’ Using Mandarin Chinese
Apart from singing a birthday song, you can also take the help of the following phrases to wish someone a happy birthday in Mandarin Chinese.
xīn xiǎng shì chéng (心想事成)
(May all your wishes be fulfilled.)
tiān tiān kuài lè (天天快乐)
(I wish you a happy life.)
xiào kǒu cháng kāi (笑口常开)
(Always remain happy and keep smiling.)
Apart from gathering knowledge on various ways of wishing “happy birthday” in Mandarin Chinese, it would be good to quickly go through a Chinese cultural journey to know more about the similarities and differences between birthday celebrations in China and other regions.
More Than Just Wishing Happy Birthday In Chinese
Although the traditional concepts and culture associated with the Chinese way of birthday celebrations restrict the grand celebration every year, nowadays many Chinese families celebrate birthdays in contemporary ways.
It is great to adapt and accept the lifestyle of the modern days, hence more Chinese families can be seen celebrating birthdays with cakes, gifts, and good food. It is still a good idea to know the typical Chinese traditions associated with birthday celebrations.
A commonly served dish at a Chinese birthday celebration is the “longevity” noodles, known as the shòu miàn (寿面), along with eggs dyed with red color, called hóng jī dàn (红鸡蛋). It symbolizes merry times. The older people are offered shòu táo bāo (寿桃包), which are peach-shaped, sweet steamed buns, for wishing them a long life.
Any of the foods mentioned above can be offered as a birthday gift. Alternatively, money can also be gifted to infants, provided it is presented in a red envelope. This gift is called hóng bāo (红包).
Simple things like wishing someone “happy birthday” in Mandarin Chinese are great ways to start learning the language.
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