Celebrating birthdays and other occasions

Recognising Birthday and Other Celebrations

Learn key vocabulary related to birthdays like 生日 (shēngrì: birthday), 生日蛋糕 (shēngrì dàngāo: birthday cake), 生日派对 (shēngrì pàiduì: birthday party), and 生日礼物 (shēngrì lǐwù: birthday gift).
Typically, other occasions celebrated include 节日 (jiérì: holidays), 纪念日 (jìniànrì: anniversaries), and 庆祝活动 (qìngzhù huódòng: celebration activities).
Understand different forms of celebration like 祝贺 (zhùhè: congratulation), 狂欢 (kuánghuān: revelry), 聚会 (jùhuì: gathering) and 宴会 (yànhuì: banquet).

Understanding Birthday Customs

Traditional customs related to birthdays in China include having 长寿面 (chángshòu miàn: longevity noodles) for elders and 包饺子 (bāo jiǎozi: making dumplings) for younger people.
Contemporary customs include 送礼物 (sòng lǐwù: giving gifts), 吹蜡烛 (chuī làzhú: blowing out candles), and 唱生日歌 (chàng shēngrì gē: singing the birthday song).
Learn how to express birthday wishes with phrases like 生日快乐 (shēngrì kuàilè: Happy birthday) or 万事如意 (wànshì rúyì: May all your wishes come true).

Describing Celebrations

Understand terms that describe the atmosphere at celebrations, such as 热闹 (rènao: lively), 欢乐 (huānlè: joyful), 隆重 (lóngzhòng: grand), or 庄重 (zhuāngzhòng: solemn).
Learn how to talk about activities commonly seen at celebrations, like 跳舞 (tiàowǔ: dancing), 唱歌 (chànggē: singing), 游戏 (yóuxì: games) or 庆祝 (qìngzhù: celebration).
Recognise phrases that describe the act of giving and receiving gifts: 收到礼物 (shōudào lǐwù: to receive a gift), 赠送礼物 (zèngsòng lǐwù: to give a gift).

Expressing Appreciation and Congratulating

Learn how to express appreciation for a gift or a party with phrases like 谢谢你的礼物 (xièxiè nǐ de lǐwù: Thank you for your gift) or 谢谢你的邀请 (xièxiè nǐ de yāoqǐng: Thank you for your invitation).
Understand how to congratulate or extend good wishes to someone with the phrases 祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè: Wish you a happy birthday) or 祝你万事如意 (zhù nǐ wànshì rúyì: Wish you all the best).
It’s also important to respond properly to congratulations and good wishes. Responses can include 谢谢你的祝福 (xièxiè nǐ de zhùfú: Thank you for your blessings) or 谢谢你的好意 (xièxiè nǐ de hǎoyì: Thanks for your good intentions).

Understanding and using these phrases correctly will greatly enhance your ability to describe and engage in social scenarios involving birthdays and other celebrations.