过生日 Celebrating a Birthday in Chinese

昨天zuótiān是shì我wǒ的de生日shēngrì，我wǒ三十sānshí岁suì了le。

Yesterday was my birthday — I turned thirty.

晚上wǎnshang，朋友们péngyoumen来lái我wǒ家jiā，我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ吃饭chīfàn，一起yìqǐ唱歌chànggē。

In the evening my friends came to my home, and we ate and sang together.

妻子qīzi给gěi我wǒ做zuò了le一yí个gè很hěn大dà的de蛋糕dàngāo。

My wife made me a very big cake.

大家dàjiā对duì我wǒ说shuō：“祝zhù你nǐ生日shēngrì快乐kuàilè！”

Everyone said to me: "Happy birthday!"

我wǒ说shuō：“谢谢xièxie大家dàjiā！希望xīwàng明年míngnián我们wǒmen再zài一起yìqǐ过guò生日shēngrì！”

I said: "Thank you, everyone! I hope we can celebrate my birthday together again next year!"

虽然suīrán我wǒ已经yǐjīng三十sānshí岁suì了le，但是dànshì我wǒ觉得juéde我wǒ还是háishi二十èrshí岁suì！

Although I'm already thirty, I feel like I'm still twenty!

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

生日shēngrìbirthday

岁suìyears old

祝zhùto wish (someone something)

快乐kuàilèhappy

希望xīwàngto hope

蛋糕dàngāocake

祝 + person + wish

祝 (zhù) introduces a good wish for someone: 祝 + person + the thing you wish them, e.g. 祝你工作快乐.

祝你生日快乐！ — Happy birthday to you!

已经 … 了

已经 (yǐjīng) with 了 at the end means something has 'already' happened or is already the case, e.g. 他已经走了.

我已经三十岁了。 — I'm already thirty years old.

虽然…，但是…

虽然…但是… means 'although ..., (but) ...'. Chinese uses both words together, e.g. 虽然很忙，但是很快乐.

虽然我已经三十岁了，但是我觉得我还是二十岁！ — Although I'm already thirty, I feel like I'm still twenty!

1. How old did the narrator turn?

2. What did his wife make for him?

3. What did everyone say to him?