Are you one of those people who is always looking forward to their birthday every year? A birthday is a time when a person celebrates his/her birth anniversary. In this blog, you will learn how to say Happy Birthday in Cantonese.
If learning a new language like Cantonese is your goal right now, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How To Say Happy Birthday In Cantonese?
For most people, a birthday is one of the happiest days of their lives. You feel important, and you receive many gifts. But not all people want to celebrate their birthday that way. Some want to celebrate it with friends, and some rather stay at home with their families. Either way, what’s a birthday without greetings?
Who wouldn’t want to receive birthday greetings on their birthday? It is nice if someone greets and wishes you a Happy Birthday. You can greet someone with Happy Birthday in different languages. You can say Feliz cumpleaños, in Spanish, Selamat ulang tahun, in Indonesian, Saeng-il chugha in Korean, and Buon compleanno in Italian.
For Chinese, you might be hearing Shēngrì kuàilè (生日快乐) often. This birthday greeting came from Mandarin which is widely spoken in China. In this blog, we will learn how to say Happy Birthday in Cantonese. Cantonese is widely spoken in Hong Kong. Also, you shouldn’t forget to memorize the date and time in Cantonese because it’s very important to remember greeting them!
Check the following phrases below for Happy Birthday in Cantonese
| Meaning | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Happy Birthday | 生日快樂 | Saang1 Jat6 Faai3 Lok6 |
| I wish you a happy birthday, and that all your wishes come true! | 祝你生日快樂，心想事成 | Zuk1 Nei5 Saang1 Jat6 Faai3 Lok6, Sam1 Soeng2 Si6 Sing4 |
| Hope you will be happy every day | 希望日日開心 | Hei1 mong6 jat6 jat6 hoi1 sam1. |
| Happy birthday and good health | 生日快樂，身體健康 | saang1 jat6 faai3 lok6, san1 tai2 gin6 hong1 |
| Wishing you always (stay) young, like 28 years old, every year! | 青春常駐，年年廿八! | Cing1 Ceon1 Soeng4 Zyu3, Nin4 Nin4 Jaa6 Baat3 |
1. Saang1 Jat6 Faai3 Lok6 生日快樂
If you want to wish someone Happy Birthday in Cantonese, you can say “Saang1 Jat6 Faai3 Lok6” (生日快樂). 生 refers to “birth” and 日 refers to “day”. This is commonly used in Hong Kong whether in formal or informal situations. You can also add his/her name to make it more personal and see how it will immediately put a smile on his/her face.
2. Zuk1 Nei5 Saang1 Jat6 Faai3 Lok6, Sam1 Soeng2 Si6 Sing4 祝你生日快樂，心想事成
To make it more meaningful, you can add some phrases. To say “I wish you a happy birthday, and that all your wishes come true!” use “Zuk1 Nei5 Saang1 Jat6 Faai3 Lok6, Sam1 Soeng2 Si6 Sing4” (祝你生日快樂，心想事成). This is applicable to both written and spoken situations, whether formal or informal. It’s nice to hear that someone wishes you a good life.
Everyone wants to be happy during their birthdays but let’s admit the fact that not all of us are happy to be older. If you want to wish someone to stay young, you can say “Cing1 Ceon1 Soeng4 Zyu3, Nin4 Nin4 Jaa6 Baat3″(青春常駐，年年廿八!). This means “Wishing you always (stay) young, like 28 years old, every year!”
3. Hei1 mong6 jat6 jat6 hoi1 sam1. 希望日日開心
It is nice if someone wishes you to have a good life. After all the problems and challenges, it is really heart-warming to hear these words on your special day. hei1 mong6 jat6 jat6 hoi1 sam1.(希望日日開心) means “Hope you will be happy every day” in English. Express your moods and emotions in Cantonese, and you can even get into deep conversations with someone you are interested in.
What Are Chinese Birthdays Like?
Birthdays are celebrated almost the same way across the world. But some culture has their own unique way of celebrating it, like the Chinese. They have a very rich culture that makes them unique to others. Chinese age is calculated according to the Lunar calendar. When the child turns two years old, parents celebrate their birthday by surrounding a child with different symbolic items to predict his/her future. For example, the pen indicates that the child has a natural talent for writing.
Cakes VS Longevity Noodles
Birthdays are not complete without cakes, but in Chinese, eating longevity noodles is more important than slicing the cake. Longevity noodles symbolize long life so be careful not to bite and cut it off while slurping because it symbolizes the breaking of a long life.
Food – Who’s Treat Is It?
You can never talk about birthdays when there is no food. If you have a Cantonese friend or you are in a relationship with your Cantonese loved one, do not be surprised if he treats you for a meal during his/her birthday. He/she wants to follow their traditions that the birthday celebrant will pay the bill no matter how large the gathering may be.
Gifts – What To Give?
Another exciting part of birthdays is the gift. It really feels good when you see a gift with your name on it. Talking about gifts, they have their own also. If you have a Cantonese friend and you want to give him/her something, make sure to think wisely about what to give. Yes, it’s the thought that counts but it wouldn’t hurt to give something useful.
Nowadays, people use shopping bags or paper bags as wrappers, but Cantonese also have ways of wrapping gifts. If you plan to give a gift, wrap it using a red wrapper and a golden ribbon, which indicates good luck. Do not be offended or take it as an insult if your Cantonese friend declines the gift at first. It’s part of their tradition to insist a little more.
Birthdays – Traditions Or Celebrations?
There are more Cantonese traditions when it comes to birthdays but it’s good to start to have a little knowledge about it. At the end of the day, the primary point of celebrating birthdays is being grateful for the life we have.
How to wish a Happy Birthday In Hong Kong?
In Hong Kong, wishing someone a happy birthday is a vibrant celebration steeped in tradition and warmth. Birthday celebrations typically involve family gatherings, sharing a cake, and sometimes, a birthday dinner at a favorite restaurant. Gifts are also customary, often including items like money in red envelopes, symbolizing good luck. Personal touches, such as sharing a favorite memory or writing heartfelt notes, are appreciated, making the occasion even more special.
The most common phrase used for happy birthday is:
- 生日快樂 (saang1 jat6 faai3 lok6)
- 祝你生日快樂 (zuk1 nei5 saang1 jat6 faai3 lok6)
- 祝你身體健康 (zuk1 nei5 san1 tai2 gin6 hong1)
Ways To Celebrate Birthdays In Hong Kong
Now that you have learned how to say Happy Birthday in Cantonese, let’s find some nice place tp celebrate it.
1. Enjoy A Free Day At A Theme Park
No one is ever old enough to go to a theme park. You can enjoy your birthday in a famous theme park in Hong Kong.
2. Go To Hong Kong’s Finest Beaches
For beach lovers, nice sunsets and cold breezes can be one of your birthday gifts from nature. You may go there with your family and friends.
3. Sing With Your Friends In A Restobars
A night with your friends full of Cantonese music, laughter, and stories, what more can you ask for? Hong Kong has nice restaurants and bars where you can sing your hearts out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Happy Birthday In Cantonese
How Do You Wish A Chinese Person A Happy Birthday?
In Cantonese, you can wish a Chinese person a happy birthday by saying:
生日快樂 (saang1 jat6 faai3 lok6)-“Happy birthday”
What Does Sang Yat Fai Lok Mean?
Sang Yat Fai Lok can be translated into “生日快樂“， meaning happy birthday in Cantonese.
How Do You Say Happy Birthday In Hong Kong?
In Hong Kong, you say “Happy Birthday” in Cantonese as 生日快樂 (saang1 jat6 faai3 lok6)
If you want to make it a bit more personal or warm, you can say:
祝你生日快樂 (zuk1 nei5 saang1 jat6 faai3 lok6) – “Wishing you a happy birthday.”
Wrapping up
In this blog, you have learned that the Saang1 Jat6 Faai3 Lok6 (生日快樂) and Shēngrì kuàilè (生日快乐) are different because they came from different Chinese dialect. Now that you have learned this, why not expand your knowledge? Do not be contented by just knowing how to say Happy Birthday in Cantonese. Challenge yourself and expand your horizons.
Learning New Languages? Use Ling!
Language learning tools may help you learn languages in a convenient and exciting way. If you have learned from this blog, I recommend you try the Ling app.
Yes, you can always read blog posts like this, watch and follow different video tutorials, and read books about learning languages, but using this app will give you an exciting learning experience. Please remember that knowing will not automatically convert to fluency. Your motivation and hard work will be your key to success in learning new languages. So, download the Ling app now and start to learn!
