补祝你生日快乐
bǔ zhù nǐ shēngrìkuàilè
Happy belated birthday · trad. 補祝你生日快樂
补祝你生日快乐 is the most common and natural way to say "happy belated birthday" in Mandarin Chinese. It literally means "belated happy birthday" and is used when you're wishing someone a happy birthday after their actual birthday has passed.
What does 补祝你生日快乐 (bǔ zhù nǐ shēngrìkuàilè) mean?
补祝你生日快乐 (bǔ zhù nǐ shēngrìkuàilè) means “happy belated birthday” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “belated birthday happy.”
When to use it
Neutral and friendly. It's polite to acknowledge the lateness, often by adding an apology like 对不起 (duìbuqǐ, sorry) or 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi, excuse me). When someone wishes you a belated birthday, a simple 谢谢 (xièxie, thank you) is the appropriate reply.
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like "CHUR-lie-duh SHUNG-ree KWAH-luh." The first two syllables, 迟来, both have rising tones, while 生日快乐 follows its standard tones.
Other ways to say it
- 对不起，补祝你生日快乐！duìbuqǐ, bǔ zhù nǐ shēngrìkuàilè!Sorry, happy belated birthday!
- 虽然迟了，但还是要祝你生日快乐！suīrán chíle, dàn háishi yào zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàile!Although it's late, I still want to wish you a happy birthday!
- 补祝你生日快乐！bǔ zhù nǐ shēngrìkuàilè!Belatedly wish you a happy birthday! (more concise)
Examples
补祝你生日快乐！希望你度过了一个美好的一天。
bǔ zhù nǐ shēngrìkuàilè! xīwàng nǐ dùguò le yíge měihǎo de yìtiān.
Happy belated birthday! Hope you had a wonderful day.
对不起，补祝你生日快乐！我最近太忙了。
duìbuqǐ, bǔ zhù nǐ shēngrìkuàilè! wǒ zuìjìn tài máng le.
Sorry, happy belated birthday! I've been so busy lately.
虽然迟了几天，但还是要祝你生日快乐！
suīrán chíle jǐtiān, dàn háishi yào zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàile!
Although it's a few days late, I still want to wish you a happy birthday!
Pro tip: It's very common and polite to include an apology, even a short one, when wishing someone a belated birthday. Phrases like 对不起 (sorry) or 不好意思 (excuse me / my bad) are often added to show your regret for the delay.
Related phrases
祝您生日快乐 · Birthday wishes for elderly生日快乐，愿神赐福你 · Christian birthday greetings疯 · Crazy
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