In honor of our 1st year anniversary, we would like to teach our monthly Chinese lesson readers how to wish friends and family a happy birthday in Chinese.

Useful Phrases
这是送给你的生日礼物。祝你生日快乐！
Zhè shì sòng gěi nǐ de shēng rì lǐ wù.
Zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè !
This is a birthday gift for you. Happy Birthday!
你太客气了。谢谢！
Nǐ tài kè qì le。Xiè xiè!
You don’t have to (you are too kind). Thanks!
你多大了？
Nĭ duō dà le?
How old are you?

Vocabulary
生日(shēng rì): birthday
礼物(lǐ wù): gift
快乐 (kuài lè): happy
客气(kè qì): kind, polite

Initials and Finals
Each character usually consists of an initial, a consonant that begins the syllable, and a final, which ends the syllable with a vowel(s). For example, in the syllable “ping", “p” is the initial and “ing” is the final.