ho6 saang1 jat6賀生日贺生日
Jyutpingho6 saang1 jat6
Yalehoh sāang yaht
Definition
To celebrate a birthday.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Using 賀生日 is slightly more formal or specific than just saying 慶祝生日. It carries a sense of actively participating in the celebratory event or gathering rather than just the act of marking the date. You will often hear it used when planning a group outing or a party for someone.
Examples
Where are we going to celebrate the birthday tonight?
They arranged to get together to celebrate Mom's birthday.
Related words
Common phrases
to arrange to meet up to celebrate a birthday
to celebrate someone's birthday
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 慶祝 for everything, but 賀生日 is specifically for birthdays. Do not use 賀生日 for other types of celebrations like anniversaries or promotions, where 慶祝 is the standard choice.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
