2010.03.09 -- Happy Birthday【1】

(Original works,
 Copyright © Fan from http://fan-dasschiff.blogspot.com/ ）
I just heard that a friend is going to celebrate his birthday, so today we learn some good wishes in Chinese which could be used for birthday.

Happy birthday 生(shēng)日(rì)快(kuài)乐(lè)
(birthday = 生(shēng)日(rì), sometimes you could also say 生(shēng)辰(chén), the later one is not usually used in the daily life just for literal reason.
happy = 快(kuài)乐(lè) or 开(kāi)心(xīn),
 for example, you could say “I am happy =我(wǒ)很(hěn)快(kuài)乐(lè) or 我(wǒ)很(hěn)开(kāi)心  (xīn)”，they are the same : ) 

Besides,to old people, we also say  
   Copyright © Fan from http://fan-dasschiff.blogspot.com/
福(fú)如(rú)东(dōng)海(hǎi)，寿(shòu)比(bǐ)南(nán)山(shān)

Explanation:
1. 福(fú) = good fortune and happiness, 如(rú) = like, 东(dōng)= east, 海(hǎi) = sea.
       东(dōng) 海(hǎi) is an island in China. There is a magical stone in this island and will bring good fortune to people who come to the island. We now use this phrase to express that I hope you have good fortune or happiness, just like the fortune brought by the stone on the island.

2. 南(nán) = south; 山(shān)= mountain, hill; 比(bǐ) = than, 寿(shòu)= age, the same as 岁, but more literate, it is not used in the daily life, only in the books or old phrases.
      南(nán)山(shān) is a mountain named 南(nán). This is an old story in the Chinese fairy tale, It is said that there are fairies living on this mountain, and all the people who live on this mountain could live more than 100 years , so now we use 南(nán)山(shān) to give our good wishes to the old people, we hope them healthy and can live longer.
  Copyright © Fan from http://fan-dasschiff.blogspot.com/
To be continued tomorrow…