8 Most Popular Chinese New Year Greetings
Chinese New Year is around the corner and if Chinese New Year festivities are not something you normally celebrate or if you have been invited to a Chinese New Year gathering or reunion dinner, here are some simple but practical Chinese New Year greetings and wishes for you to learn. These are likely helpful for you to get more Ang Paos aka red packets this coming Year of the Dragon too, so what are you waiting for?
Read on and learn the best sayings with All Things Delicious and say some of them to your family, friends, colleagues and even to your bosses!
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新年快乐 – HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
Mandarin: xīn nián kuài lè
The most common greeting used during the Chinese New Year festive season. It means “Happy New Year” and it’s commonly used on the first of January too, to wish someone great happiness and prosperity for the whole year!
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恭喜发财 – WISH YOU PROSPERITY AND GOOD FORTUNE
Mandarin: gōngxǐ fācái
Gong xi fa cai has become one of the most recognizable Chinese New Year greetings and growing up in Singapore, we definitely hear this phrase everywhere we go during this festive season! You may also hear kung hei fat choy, which is the same greeting in Cantonese. We personally love this greeting so much, we have decided to use this on our gift boxes!
Image by CJ Wadhwa / All Things Delicious
年年有余 – SURPLUS & ABUNDANCE YEAR AFTER YEAR
Mandarin: niánnián yǒuyú
This common phrase is a wish for abundance or surplus every year. The word for abundance also sounds like the word for fish hence that’s why the Chinese will always make two fish for their Chinese New Year’s eve dinner and save one as leftover for the next day (the surplus for the year!). Exactly like how we are doing as we are serving two fish choices this year for our Chinese New Year Chef To Go!
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大吉大利 - GOOD LUCK AND BIG PROFIT
Mandarin: dà jí dà lì
This particular greeting is growing quite popular and is a great one for anyone who is money focused! Extremely suitable for business-owning individuals too because what’s better than a wish of good luck and more money to them, right? You may say: “Wishing you good luck and prosperity in the Year of the Tiger! Good luck and prosperity in the new year!”
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身体健康 – GOOD HEALTH
Mandarin: shēn tǐ jiàn kāng
Health is an important wish especially during these current endemic times, which is why this is the go-to greeting for anyone, young or old! Feel free to wish your loved ones, friends, colleagues by saying: “I wish all of you good health and the best of success in all your endeavours”.
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吉祥如意 - GOOD LUCK AND FORTUNE BE ACCORDING TO YOUR WISHES
Mandarin: jí xiáng rú yì.
A greeting to wish someone or a group of people good fortune as one wishes. Go ahead and wish your colleagues: “祝你在新的一年里吉祥如意，心想事成” (Zhù nǐ zài xīn de yīnián lǐ jíxiángrúyì，xīnxiǎngshìchéng)! You will for sure receive plenty of smiles from them because you are wishing them luck, fortune and success in the coming year!
Image by Kzenon
万事如意 — MAY ALL GO WELL WITH YOU
Mandarin: wàn shì rú yì
This is a common sweet wish for all of someone’s dreams to come true! Go ahead and wish someone “心想事成, 万事如意” (xīn xiǎng shì chéng, wàn shì rú yì) this coming New Year, which literally means “May all your wishes come true and go well with you”!
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学业有成 – ACADEMIC SUCCESS OR ACADEMIC PROGRESS
Mandarin: xuéyè yǒuchéng
All you students out there may hear this either from your parents, grandparents and relatives! Recognize this meaningful wish and fire back with some happy new year and good health greetings back at them such as the ones we have listed above.
That’s all for now! We hope this cheat sheet on Chinese New Year greetings will be beneficial for you to learn, understand and greet by wishing them a happy and prosperous new year. Also, don’t forget to check out our Traditional Chinese New Year foods blog article and find out what will bring you good luck next year!
