Quick answer
“Happy birthday” in Chinese is 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè)
How to Say “Happy Birthday” in Chinese
The phrase “happy birthday” in Chinese is 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè). Use it whenever you greet someone on their birthday — in person, in a text, or on a card. For a fuller wish, add 祝 (zhù) to say 祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè), and for formal or literary writing use 生辰快乐 (shēngchén kuàilè).
Common phrases
祝你生日快乐生日快乐歌生日快乐，万事如意祝你生日快乐，身体健康
How to use it
- Tone notes: 生 is shēng (first tone), 日 is rì (fourth), 快 is kuài (fourth), 乐 is lè (fourth). Don't confuse 乐 (lè, “happy”) with 了 (le). And while 乐 can read yuè when it means “music” (音乐 yīnyuè), in 快乐 it is always lè.
- Register: 生日快乐 works for everyone — friends, family, clients, and strangers. To make the wish fuller and slightly more polite, front it with 祝 (zhù): 祝你生日快乐. For a truly formal or literary tone — an elder's card, a calligraphy gift — use 生辰快乐 instead.
- Word order: unlike English's “Happy Birthday,” Chinese says 生日 快乐 (birthday + happy). This topic-comment order also appears in 新年快乐 (Happy New Year) and 节日快乐 (Happy holiday), so once you know this pattern, you can reuse it.
- Follow-up: Chinese birthday greetings often add a concrete wish right after: 祝你生日快乐，万事如意 (everything goes as you wish) or 身体健康 (good health). The longer the list, the more heartfelt the birthday wish.
Example sentences
生日快乐！
Shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy birthday!
The shortest, most common form — four syllables that work in speech, text, and on cards.
祝你生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!
Wish you a happy birthday!
祝 (zhù) means “to wish.” Adding it makes the greeting a full sentence, and this is the line the Chinese birthday song repeats.
生日快乐！今晚一起吃饭吗？
Shēngrì kuàilè! Jīnwǎn yìqǐ chīfàn ma?
Happy birthday! Want to grab dinner together tonight?
A casual, friendly birthday text — combining the greeting with an invitation is natural between friends. Note 一 in 一起 is read yì (yìqǐ).
生辰快乐，祝您福寿安康。
Shēngchén kuàilè, zhù nín fúshòu ānkāng.
Happy birthday — may you enjoy fortune, longevity, and good health.
The formal version: 生辰 (shēngchén) is an elegant word for “birthday,” and 您 (nín) is the respectful “you.” Use this for elders or written wishes.
你是今天的寿星，生日快乐！
Nǐ shì jīntiān de shòuxīng, shēngrì kuàilè!
You're today's birthday star — happy birthday!
寿星 (shòuxīng), literally “longevity star,” is the playful Chinese word for the birthday person.
Common mistakes
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 生日快乐！ | English uses adjective + noun (“Happy Birthday”), but Chinese requires topic + comment order: the birthday comes first, then the happiness. Saying 快乐生日 is like saying “happy-birthday” as an adjective — it doesn't work in Chinese. | |
| 生日快 |
生日快乐！ | 乐 (lè, “joy”) is the character for “happy.” Learners often type 了 (le, a particle) instead because both are “le” in pinyin and look similar. 快了 (kuài le) means “almost/soon,” so 生日快了 would sound like “birthday is almost here” rather than a greeting. |
| Unnatural | Natural | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 生日 |
生日快乐！ | 愉快 (yúkuài) is the matching word for “happy” when describing holidays and trips (节日愉快, 旅途愉快). For birthdays, mainland Mandarin speakers use 快乐. 生日愉快 is understandable, but it is not what natives would naturally write. |
FAQ
- How do you say happy birthday in Chinese?Say 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè). It's a four-syllable greeting that literally reads “birthday + happy,” and it works in person, in WeChat, on a cake, or in a birthday card. Use this one everywhere.
- Should I say 生日快乐 or 祝你生日快乐?If you're just greeting someone, 生日快乐 is enough. To express “I wish you a happy birthday,” add 祝 (zhù): 祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè). This is the warmer, full-sentence version — and it's exactly what's sung in the Chinese version of the Happy Birthday song.
- Is 生辰快乐 too formal for everyday use?Yes — 生辰快乐 (shēngchén kuàilè) sounds elegant and literary because 辰 is an older word for “time.” Use it for elderly relatives, in formal written wishes, or when you want the message to feel special and respectful. For friends, stick with 生日快乐.
- Can I write 快乐生日 like English Happy Birthday?No. Chinese puts the noun first: 生日快乐, not 快乐生日. Think of it as two chunks — 生日 (the birthday) + 快乐 (is happy). The same pattern repeats in 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè, Happy New Year).