Happy Birthday (生日 快乐)

Learn how to say “Happy Birthday!” in Chinese with this easy-to-read story. You’ll practice two key words: 快乐 (kuàilè) for “happy” and 生日 (shēngrì) for “birthday.” This graded reader is written for HSK 2 students and only includes vocabulary you already know. Start by reading it a few times, then listen to the audio until you can confidently read, speak, and understand the entire story. Along the way, you’ll also learn other useful words like 送 (sòng), 红 (hóng), and 希望 (xīwàng). This short, fun story will help you build your HSK 2 skills as you learn Chinese step by step. Focus on these key words and be sure to practice speaking as you go!

今天 是 妈妈 的 生日。

爸爸 说: “我们 可以 送 她 一个 红 的 东西。”

我 笑 着 说: 好!

我们 买 了 一 件 红 的 衣服。

我 说: “妈妈, 生日 快乐! 这 是 我们 送 给 你的 衣服。”

我 希望 妈妈 很 快乐。

妈妈 笑了, 说: “谢谢! 我 很 快乐。”

我们 一起 唱 了 生日 快乐 歌。


今天 是 妈妈 的 生日。 {Play}

Jīntiān shì māma de shēngrì.

Today is mom’s birthday.

爸爸 说: “我们 可以 送 她 一个 红 的 东西。” {Play}

Bàba shuō: “Wǒmen kěyǐ sòng tā yī gè hóng de dōngxi.”

Dad said: “We can give her a red thing.”

我 笑 着 说: 好! {Play}

Wǒ xiàozhe shuō: Hǎo!

I smiled and said: “Okay!”

我们 买 了 一 件 红 的 衣服。 {Play}

Wǒmen mǎi le yī jiàn hóng de yīfu.

We bought a red piece of clothing.

我 说: “妈妈, 生日 快乐! 这 是 我们 送 给 你的 衣服。” {Play}

Wǒ shuō: “Māma, shēngrì kuàilè! Zhè shì wǒmen sòng gěi nǐ de yīfu.”

I said: “Mom, happy birthday! This is the clothing we are giving you.”

我 希望 妈妈 很 快乐。 {Play}

Wǒ xīwàng māma hěn kuàilè.

I hope mom is very happy.

妈妈 笑了, 说: “谢谢! 我 很 快乐。” {Play}

Māma xiàole, shuō: “Xièxiè! Wǒ hěn kuàilè.”

Mom smiled and said: “Thank you! I am very happy.”

我们 一起 唱 了 生日 快乐 歌。 {Play}

Wǒmen yīqǐ chàng le shēngrì kuàilè gē.

We sang the happy birthday song together.