干杯 Cheers in Chinese — HSK 3 Reading

今天jīntiān是shì我wǒ朋友péngyou的de生日shēngrì，晚上wǎnshang我们wǒmen几个jǐ ge人rén一起yìqǐ去qù饭馆fànguǎn吃饭chīfàn。

Today is my friend's birthday, and in the evening a few of us went to a restaurant together.

大家dàjiā坐下zuòxià以后yǐhòu，服务员fúwùyuán给gěi每个人měi ge rén都dōu拿ná来lái一杯yì bēi啤酒píjiǔ。

After everyone sat down, the clerk brought a glass of beer for each person.

我wǒ朋友péngyou拿ná起qǐ杯子bēizi，笑着xiàozhe说shuō：“谢谢xièxiè大家dàjiā来lái吃饭chīfàn。”

My friend picked up their glass, smiling, and said: "Thanks everyone for coming."

大家dàjiā也yě拿ná起qǐ杯子bēizi，一起yìqǐ说shuō：“祝zhù你nǐ生日shēngrì快乐kuàilè，身体shēntǐ健康jiànkāng！”

Everyone else picked up their glasses too, and said together: "Happy birthday, and good health!"

说shuō完wán，大家dàjiā一起yìqǐ说shuō：“干杯gānbēi！”然后ránhòu都dōu喝hē了le一杯yì bēi啤酒píjiǔ。

After that, everyone said together, "Cheers!" and then everyone drank a glass of beer.

吃chī了le一会儿yíhuìr，我wǒ朋友péngyou又yòu拿ná起qǐ杯子bēizi，大家dàjiā也yě一起yìqǐ说shuō：“干杯gānbēi！”

A while into the meal my friend raised his glass again, and everyone joined in: "Ganbei!"

我们wǒmen吃chī了le很久hěnjiǔ，喝hē了le很多hěn duō啤酒píjiǔ，最后zuìhòu一起yìqǐ走zǒu出chū饭馆fànguǎn。

We ate for a long time and drank a lot of beer, and finally walked out of the restaurant together.

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

Key words 生词

干杯gānbēicheers! (bottoms up)

啤酒píjiǔbeer

身体shēntǐbody; health

健康jiànkānghealthy

杯子bēizicup; glass

坐下zuòxiàto sit down

干杯 (Cheers!)

干杯 literally means 'dry the cup' — it's what people say together before drinking at a Chinese meal, often after a toast.

大家一起说：“干杯！”— Everyone said together: "Cheers!"

祝你... (I wish you...)

祝你 + a good wish is how Chinese speakers offer blessings, especially at birthdays and celebrations.

祝你生日快乐，身体健康！— Happy birthday, and good health!

拿起 + object (to pick something up)

拿 means 'to hold/take', and adding 起 shows the object being lifted up — 拿起杯子 is 'to pick up the glass.'

他拿起杯子，笑着说话。— He picked up his glass, smiling as he spoke.

1. What does 干杯 literally mean?

2. What blessing do the friends offer the birthday person?

3. How does the story end?

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.