NetChai Chinese

How to Say “Have fun” in Chinese

玩得开心
wán de kāixīn
Have fun · trad. 玩得開心
Two young friends laugh as they start playing a game, illustrating “have fun” in Chinese: 玩得开心 (wán de kāixīn)

玩得开心 is the most common and natural way to tell someone to “have fun” or to express that one “had fun” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a versatile phrase used when someone is about to go do something enjoyable or to describe a past enjoyable experience.

What does 玩得开心 (wán de kāixīn) mean?

玩得开心 (wán de kāixīn) means “have fun” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “play to a happy state.”

When to use it

Neutral. It's appropriate for friends, family, and most casual to semi-formal situations. To make it a direct wish, you can add 祝你 (“wish you”): 祝你玩得开心. When someone says this to you, a simple 谢谢 (“thank you”) is a good reply.

How to pronounce it

Sounds roughly like “wan-duh KAI-shin.” The first syllable “wan” is a rising tone, “duh” is light (neutral tone), and “kai-shin” is two flat (first tone) syllables.

Other ways to say it

  • 祝你玩得开心zhù nǐ wán de kāixīnwish you have fun (more explicit wish)
  • 玩得愉快wán de yúkuàihave a pleasant time (slightly more formal)
  • 好好玩hǎohao wánhave a good time (more direct, often among close friends)

Examples

祝你周末玩得开心!
zhù nǐ zhōumò wán de kāixīn!
Have a fun weekend!
他们昨天玩得很开心。
tāmen zuótiān wán de hěn kāixīn.
They had a lot of fun yesterday.
去吧,玩得开心!
qù ba, wán de kāixīn!
Go on, have fun!
Pro tip: The particle 得 is crucial here. It connects the verb 玩 (“play/have fun”) with the descriptive adjective 开心 (“happy”), indicating the *result* or *degree* of the action. Don't confuse it with the other 'de' particles, 地 or 的.

Related phrases

美好的早晨 · Blessed morning英语 · English节日快乐 · Festival wishes
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →