Question 1

What does 生日 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

生日 (shēngrì) means 'birthday' — literally 'birth day,' built from 生 ('to be born') + 日 ('day'). The standard well-wishing phrase is 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè, 'happy birthday'), which goes on cards, cakes, and songs (the Chinese version of 'Happy Birthday to You' uses this line). To state the date, use 我的生日是X月X日: my birthday is May 16. Two cultural notes for English speakers: many older Chinese people celebrate their lunar calendar birthday (农历生日) instead of, or alongside, the solar one; and a person's first birthday (一岁生日) is traditionally a bigger family event than later ones. Don't confuse 生日 with the verb 出生 (chūshēng, 'to be born') — 生日 is the noun 'birthday,' not 'birth.' Birthdays are counted with 个: 这是我的第三十个生日 ('this is my 30th birthday').

Question 2

How do you pronounce 生日?

Accepted Answer

生日 is pronounced shēngrì — 生 (shēng), 日 (rì).

Question 3

Is 生日 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

生日 is a noun, register: neutral.

Question 4

What is the measure word for 生日?

Accepted Answer

Use 个 (gè). Example: 一个生日 — general — 一个生日 'a birthday'.

Question 5

What's the difference between 生日 and 出生?

Accepted Answer

出生 is the verb 'to be born' — 我1990年出生 ('I was born in 1990'). 生日 is the noun 'birthday' — the day you celebrate each year.

Question 6

What's the difference between 生日 and 生?

Accepted Answer

生 alone has many uses (be born, raw, student). In 生日 it carries the 'be born' meaning. Don't read it as 'raw day.'

生日

What does 生日 mean?

Character breakdown

Measure word for 生日

Example sentences

Common phrases with 生日

Don't confuse 生日 with

FAQ