Chinese New Year is also known as ‘chun jie’ (Picture: Getty Images) ‘Gong hei fat choy’ is the Cantonese way of saying the phrase and, in Mandarin Chinese, it’s ‘gong xi fa cai English speakers are lucky to have one New Year greeting, suitable for all and sundry. That's not the case with Chinese New Year wishes in Mandarin. How you greet depends on who you greet, and some greetings could be disrespectful. Note this chart, which shows New Year wishes in Chinese, and who to say them to. Lunar New Year greetings can be fun but stressful. Here’s a guide. (We’re using Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese below — but check out the video above for some new year’s greetings from While you are studying how to greet everyone in Chinese for the Lunar New Year, remember to check out our Dos and Don’ts in our Chinese New Year Traditions post to properly prepare yourselves to ring in the new year! 23 Common Chinese New Year Greetings 1. 新年快乐 – Happy Chinese New Year. The most common greeting used during the In Mandarin, the most common way to wish your family and close friends a happy Chinese New Year is "Xīnnián hǎo" (新年好), literally meaning 'New Year Goodness' or 'Good New Year'. Another way to say "Happy Chinese New Year" is "Xīnnián kuàilè" (新年快乐), literally meaning 'New Year happiness'. It is a formal greeting typically 8 Things You Might Not Know About Chinese New Year; All about Chinese New Year: taboos, wishes and magic words; Useful Phrases for Spring Festival Celebrations; Bring Yourself Good Luck on本命年 (Běnmìngnián) 8 Common Homophonic Puns in Chinese New Year Festival ; Phrases. 1. 恭贺新年。 Gōnghè xīnnián. A Happy New Year to you. 2 The act of greeting and blessing during Chinese New Year is called 拜年 (bài nián), which literally means to pay a visit for the New Year. You must visit the eldest (seniors from the husband’s side) in the family first. Don’t forget to bring gifts! Red pockets (or red envelopes) are filled with money and given to children during the New Chinese New Year Greetings for Friends to Wish Good Luck in 2025. Chinese New Year wishes to friends are often used during the New Year. A simple greeting can make your friends feel warm and happy. 1. Wishing You to Thrive and Have a Smooth life. In Chinese: 祝你风生水起,一帆风顺. 2. Wishing You Everything Goes Well in the Year of 5 Popular Chinese New Year Wishes for Anyone and for Any Occasion. During the period of Chinese New Year, you can use these very common Chinese New Year sayings to express your best wishes. 1. 大吉大利 — Lots of luck and profits! In Cantonese, the pronunciation of gut (桔, 'mandarin oranges') is the same as gut (吉, 'auspiciousness'). Chinese New Year Greetings – Lucky Words and Sayings On the Lunar New Year’s Eve, Chinese people starts to greet each other through text or voice happy New Year messages, while later exchange Chinese New Year greetings face to face when visiting each other during the festival. Discover 25 ways to say Happy New Year in Chinese and Cantones! Learn 2024 new year greetings and wishes, complete with audio, pinyin, and English meanings. We'll also teach you how to write Happy New Year in Chinese. Get ready to impress your loved ones as the Dragon New Year approaches. There are multiple blessings and greetings for Chinese New Year. But there are variations even for the most basic “Happy New Year!” The simplest is, of course, Happy New Year: 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè). China also has many dialects, such as Cantonese, Shanghainese and the Beijing dialect. Journalist, blogger, podcaster and author Qin Xie previously explained for Metro: ‘Happy Chinese New Year is xin nian (new year) kuai le (happy) in Mandarin, and it’s pronounced shin nee-an Play it safe with this Chinese New Year greeting (Photography: yongtick via Getty Images) Of course, the first (and safest) thing to greet someone with on CNY is “Happy New Year,” (新年快樂) or sun neen fai lok in Cantonese. Another general Chinese New Year greeting is X年快樂. Chinese New Year Greetings 2025: Best 61 Chinese New Year Wishes in Mandarin and Cantonese for Business, Family, Friends. Written by Matteo Updated Jan. 2, 2025. In Hong Kong and China, the festival is celebrated over 15 days, during which relatives and friends engage in baai nin (拜年, bai nian in Mandarin). Baai means the respectful clasp of one hand over a fist in front of your chest, and together with nin, meaning year, refers to the activity of visiting a friend or family’s home to exchange gifts and good wishes for the new year. How to Wish Someone Happy New Year 2024. As we move into 2024, here are some tailored phrases to make your greetings stand out. 迎接2024年 – Yíngjiē 2024 nián – Welcome the year 2024 These wishes are perfect for family members, friends, and anyone you want to bless with success, luck, and joy in the coming year. Hilarious Chinese New Year 2025 Wishes and Greetings. Not all Chinese New Year greetings have to be serious. Here are some light-hearted and funny ways to send your wishes in 2025. This year (2022) is the year of the Tiger is “虎年”, so you can say the following to add cool Zodiac charm to your Chinese New Year greetings. Add “祝你(zhù nǐ)/祝您(zhù nín)”at the front of your greeting which means “Wishing you”. The Chinese New Year is a wonderful time for family reunions, new beginnings, renewed romance, and the potential for a happy year ahead. It’s an opportunity to extend your wishes to friends, family, lovers, colleagues, clients, or business partners during this widely celebrated lunar New Year holiday.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.