Chinese New Year Greetings

Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the time again to say goodbye to the past and welcome the new. Do you know how to give New Year wishes in Chinese? In this article, you will learn the most popular Chinese New Year greeting words, used under different circumstances.

Happy New Year in Chinese

Of the many sayings about Chinese New Year greetings, 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) is the most popular and commonly-used one.

In the phrase, the word “新” means “new”, “年” means “year” and “快乐” means “to be happy”. When we want to wish somebody a “happy New Year” in Chinese, we need to put “祝你(zhù nǐ)” or “祝您(zhù nín)” before “新年快乐”, meaning " Wish you a happy New Year！"

However, Chinese people tend to send New Year wishes in a more “Chinese” way, which best embodies the essence of Chinese culture. Below are lists of Chinese New Year wishes used in different situations.

Chinese New Year Greetings (General)

心想事成 (xīn xiǎnɡ shì chénɡ) - Whatever you dream of comes true.

万事如意 (wàn shì rú yì) - Everything goes your way.

六六大顺 (liù liù dà shùn) - Everything goes smoothly.

年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú) - May there be surpluses every year.

Chinese New Year Greetings for Wealth

恭喜发财 (ɡōnɡ xǐ fā cái) - May you be happy and prosperous.

财源广进 (cái yuán ɡuǎnɡ jìn) – Money and treasure comes to you from multiple directions.

Chinese New Year Greetings for Health

身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kānɡ) – Be in good health.

健康长寿 (jiàn kānɡ chánɡ shòu) – Wish you a good health and a long life.

Chinese New Year Greetings for Safety

岁岁平安 (suì suì pínɡ ān) - Safety with you every year.

Chinese New Year Greetings for Jobs

工作顺利 (ɡōnɡ zuò shùn lì) - Everything goes well with your work.

步步高升 (bù bù ɡāo shēnɡ) - Promoting to a higher position step by step.

Chinese New Year Greetings for Study

学业有成 (xué yè yǒu chénɡ) - Be successful in academic study.

更上一层楼 (ɡènɡ shànɡ yì cénɡ lóu) - Go up a storey still higher.