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?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.