生日快乐 Happy Birthday in Chinese

今天jīntiān是shì小美Xiǎoměi的de生日shēngrì，我们wǒmen几个jǐ ge朋友péngyou一起yìqǐ去qù她tā家jiā。

Today is Xiaomei's birthday, and a few of us friends went to her home together.

大家dàjiā坐下zuòxià以后yǐhòu，先xiān一起yìqǐ给gěi她tā唱chàng歌gē，唱chàng完wán，一起yìqǐ说shuō：“祝zhù你nǐ生日shēngrì快乐kuàilè！”

After everyone sat down, we first sang her a song together, and once we finished singing, we all said together: "Happy birthday!"

小美Xiǎoměi笑着xiàozhe说shuō：“谢谢xièxie大家dàjiā，我wǒ很hěn开心kāixīn。”

Xiaomei said with a smile: "Thank you everyone, I'm very happy."

然后ránhòu我wǒ拿ná出chū准备zhǔnbèi的de礼物lǐwù，送sòng给gěi她tā，对duì她tā说shuō：“祝zhù你nǐ身体shēntǐ健康jiànkāng，工作gōngzuò顺利shùnlì！”

Then I took out the gift I had prepared, gave it to her, and said to her: "I wish you good health and smooth work!"

小美Xiǎoměi看kàn了le看kàn礼物lǐwù，非常fēicháng高兴gāoxìng，说shuō：“太tài好hǎo了le，谢谢xièxie你nǐ！”

Xiaomei looked at the gift, very happy, and said: "Wonderful, thank you!"

大家dàjiā一起yìqǐ吃chī蛋糕dàngāo的时候de shíhou，小美Xiǎoměi又yòu对duì我们wǒmen说shuō：“也yě祝zhù你们nǐmen工作gōngzuò顺利shùnlì！”

While we were all eating cake together, Xiaomei said to us again: "I wish you all smooth work too!"

小美Xiǎoměi把bǎ蛋糕dàngāo分fēn给gěi每měi个gè人rén，最后zuìhòu一块yí kuài给gěi了le她tā妈妈māma。

Xiaomei cut the cake for everyone, and the last piece went to her mom.

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

Key words 生词

祝zhùto wish

生日shēngrìbirthday

快乐kuàilèhappy

健康jiànkānghealthy

顺利shùnlìsmoothly; successfully

礼物lǐwùgift

祝你 + wish (I wish you...)

祝 introduces a blessing: 祝 + person + the thing you wish them. At a birthday, 身体健康 and 工作顺利 are common wishes to add after 生日快乐.

祝你身体健康，工作顺利！— I wish you good health and smooth work!

verb + 完 (finish doing something)

完 attaches right after a verb to show the action is finished — 唱完 is 'finish singing', 说完 is 'finish speaking.'

唱完，我们一起说祝你生日快乐。— Once we finished singing, we all said happy birthday together.

对 + person + 说 (to say to someone)

对 marks who the words are directed at — 对她说 means 'said to her', placed right before 说.

我对她说：“祝你生日快乐！”— I said to her: "Happy birthday!"

1. What do the friends do right after Xiaomei sits down?

2. Besides 生日快乐, what else does the narrator wish Xiaomei?

3. What does Xiaomei do at the end of the story?

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.