The simplest Chinese New Year greeting is xin nian kuai le (新年快乐), Mandarin for "happy new year." The most famous is gong xi fa cai in Mandarin, or gong hei fat choy in Cantonese, which wishes the other person prosperity. In English, "Happy Chinese New Year" and "Happy Lunar New Year" are both fine. In 2027, use them from February 6 through February 20.
What are the most common greetings?
Chinese new year greetings are short set phrases, usually four characters long. Mandarin and Cantonese speakers write them with the same characters and pronounce them differently. The table gives both, as listed by SBS Chinese, the Chinese-language service of Australia's public broadcaster.
| Characters | Mandarin | Cantonese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 新年快乐 | xin nian kuai le | san nin faai lok | Happy new year |
| 恭喜发财 | gong xi fa cai | gung hei faat coi (often spelled gong hei fat choy) | Wishing you prosperity and wealth |
| 年年有余 | nian nian you yu | nin nin jau jyu | A surplus year after year |
| 身体健康 | shen ti jian kang | san tai gin hong | Good health |
| 万事如意 | wan shi ru yi | maan si jyu ji | May everything go as you hope |
| 心想事成 | xin xiang shi cheng | sam soeng si sing | May all your wishes come true |
| 大吉大利 | da ji da li | daai gat daai lei | Great fortune and good luck |
Tone marks are left out here to keep the table readable. Chinese is a tonal language, so listen to a recording or a friend before you try a phrase out loud.
How do you pronounce them?
A rough guide for English speakers:
- Xin nian kuai le: "shin nyen kwhy luh." The x is a soft "sh."
- Gong xi fa cai: "gong shee fah tsigh." The c is "ts," so cai rhymes with "sigh."
- Gong hei fat choy: said much as it is spelled, with hei like "hay."
- San nin faai lok: "sun neen fye lock."
Nobody expects a perfect accent from a learner. A greeting attempted with a smile is received warmly, and two words are enough.
Which greeting suits which person?
There are few hard rules, and families differ. These are safe choices.
- Anyone at all: xin nian kuai le, or "Happy New Year" in English. You cannot go wrong.
- Older relatives and friends' parents: a wish for good health, shen ti jian kang, is the classic choice for elders.
- Colleagues, clients, shopkeepers: gong xi fa cai. A wish for prosperity is entirely polite in this setting. It is a blessing for the other person, with no suggestion of asking for anything.
- Students and children: xin xiang shi cheng or wan shi ru yi, wishes that things go the way they hope.
- Cantonese-speaking families: gong hei fat choy is the greeting you are most likely to hear back.
Children have their own version. On visits they greet the adults and may add a cheeky rhyme recorded by the Lam Museum of Anthropology: gong xi fa cai, hong bao na lai, "wishing you prosperity, now hand over the red envelope." It is a joke for kids to make, not guests. How the envelopes work is explained in red envelope etiquette.
What do the wishes mean?
Many greetings play on sounds. Nian nian you yu, "a surplus year after year," is the best-known example: the word for surplus, yu, sounds exactly like the word for fish. That is why a whole fish is served at the New Year's Eve dinner and why fish appear on cards and decorations. The greeting and the dish say the same thing.
The other phrases are direct wishes for health, luck and things going well. They are blessings, said in the same spirit as "all the best" in English.
What can you write in a card for 2027?
The year that starts on February 6, 2027 is the Year of the Goat, also called the Sheep or Ram. A card can mention it or simply wish the reader well. Some lines to borrow:
Simple and warm
- Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing you and your family health and happiness in the Year of the Goat.
- Happy Lunar New Year. Thinking of you and hoping the year ahead is a kind one.
- Xin nian kuai le! Here's to good food, good company and a bright new year.
For colleagues and clients
- Happy Lunar New Year from all of us. Wishing you a healthy and prosperous Year of the Goat.
- Gong xi fa cai! Thank you for a great year of working together.
For someone far from home
- Happy New Year. I hope the reunion dinner is everything you've been missing.
- Wishing you a peaceful Year of the Goat, wherever you are celebrating.
A few practical points. Red and gold cards suit the occasion. If you add Chinese characters, copy them from a reliable source and check which way up they go. And Goat or Sheep are equally correct, so match whichever word your friend uses.
Is "Happy Chinese New Year" or "Happy Lunar New Year" better?
Both are polite. "Chinese New Year" names the Chinese festival. "Lunar New Year" also takes in the new year celebrations held at the same time in Vietnam, Korea and elsewhere, each of which has greetings in its own language. If you know what your friend celebrates, use that name. For a mixed group, such as an office email or a class card, "Happy Lunar New Year" includes everyone. More on the difference is in Lunar New Year vs Chinese New Year.
For the dates and the meaning of the year ahead, see Year of the Goat 2027. If you are visiting someone's home, our guide to Chinese New Year gifts covers what to bring.