If you have friends, colleagues, or business partners in China, or if you’re simply interested in Chinese culture, knowing how to extend your New Year wishes in Chinese can make a big impression. In this article, we’ll dive into several ways to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese, explore the most popular greetings, and even cover how to respond when someone wishes you the same. So, let’s add a bit of linguistic sparkle to your festive arsenal!
Table Content
Ways to Say Happy New Year in Chinese
Summarize new words and explore the most effective ways to memorize Chinese vocabulary
Most Popular New Year Greeting Phrases
How to Wish Someone Happy New Year 2024
How Do You Respond to “Happy New Year”?
Ways to Say Happy New Year in Chinese
Celebrating the New Year in Chinese can involve a variety of phrases, each suited to different contexts and preferences. Here are five phrases to get you started, complete with Chinese characters, Pinyin transcriptions, and their meanings:
- 新年快乐 – Xīnnián kuàilè – Happy New Year (the most standard greeting)
- 恭喜发财 – Gōngxǐ fācái – Wish you wealth and prosperity
- 步步高升 – Bùbù gāoshēng – May every step take you higher (a wish for promotion or success)
- 岁岁平安 – Suì suì píng’ān – May you have peace year after year
- 心想事成 – Xīn xiǎng shì chéng – May all your wishes come true
Using Case of Each Phrase
年快乐 – Xīnnián kuàilè – Happy New Year
新年快乐 is perfect for almost any situation, from a formal business email to a friendly chat.
恭喜发财 – Gōngxǐ fācái – Wish you wealth and prosperity
恭喜发财 is often used during Chinese New Year and is especially popular among business contexts.
步步高升 – Bùbù gāoshēng – May every step take you higher
步步高升 is suitable when congratulating someone with their career ambitions around the new year.
岁岁平安 – Suì suì píng’ān – May you have peace year after year
岁岁平安 is a heartfelt wish often used among close friends and family.
心想事成 – Xīn xiǎng shì chéng – May all your wishes come true
心想事成 is ideal for someone who has shared their hopes or resolutions for the new year.
Pronunciation Tutorials & Memorization Techniques
For each phrase, I recommend checking out specific Mandarin pronunciation videos available on platforms like YouTube.
Summarize new words and explore the most effective ways to memorize Chinese vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 年 | Nián | Year |
| 新 | Xīn | New |
| 快乐 | Kuàilè | Happy |
| 恭喜 | Gōngxǐ | Best wishes |
| 发财 | Fācái | Prosperous |
| 步步 | Bù bù | Step by step |
| 高升 | Gāoshēng | High Rise |
| 岁岁 | Suì suì | Year after year |
| 平安 | Píng’ān | Safety/Peace |
| 成 | Chéng | Become |
| 事 | Shì | Thing |
| 想 | Xiǎng | Wish |
| 心 | Xīn | Heart |
Lunar New Year is an important occasion in Chinese culture, and mastering Chinese New Year-themed vocabulary allows you to communicate and wish New Year naturally and sincerely. The important thing when learning new words is how to remember vocabulary more effectively and apply it in real life:
Learn in context
Learning vocabulary in context is an effective way to memorize vocabulary and use it in everyday communication. Instead of just memorizing individual words and their meanings, you learn words by seeing how they are used in complete sentences. This helps you better understand the meaning of the word and how to use it appropriately in each situation.
Write vocabulary many times
This is a traditional learning method that almost everyone knows. This method helps learners remember letters better. However, its disadvantage is that you need to invest a lot of time and effort, which is not suitable for a large vocabulary.
Review with the Spaced Repetition method
This is a way to improve memory through scheduling review at appropriate intervals. When using this method, we repeat learned information after a certain period of time, helping to consolidate knowledge and remember more effectively. You can make your own review plan or use platforms like Mochi Chinese, which helps you discover the golden time – the best time to review words just before you seem to forget them.
Mochi Chinese provides you with 5000 vocabulary words based on the HSK textbook to ensure accuracy and quality. The App divides your learning history into 5 levels of memorization (just learned to long-term memory), then calculates review time and frequency to help you review the right words at the right time, saving time and effort. Not only that, after each new word you can easily practice writing Chinese characters according to the correct pen rules through the writing practice game on the app. Besides, the app also builds communication patterns to help you learn real life situations in Chinese.
Most Popular New Year Greeting Phrases
Now, let’s look at five more phrases that are incredibly popular during Chinese New Year:
- 鸿运当头 – Hóngyùn dāng tóu – May good fortune be upon you
- 身体健康 – Shēntǐ jiànkāng – Wish you good health
- 事业有成 – Shìyè yǒuchéng – May you achieve success in your career
- 家庭幸福 – Jiātíng xìngfú – Wish your family happiness
- 平安喜乐 – Píng’ān xǐlè – Peace and joy
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
- 2024年大吉 – 2024 nián dàjí – Great luck in 2024
- 2024年发大财 – 2024 nián fā dàcái – Make big money in 2024
- 2024年事事如意 – 2024 nián shì shì rúyì – Everything goes well in 2024
- 2024年快乐 – 2024 nián kuàilè – Happy 2024
How Do You Respond to “Happy New Year”?
When someone wishes you a Happy New Year in Chinese, it’s polite to return the gesture. Here are a few responses:
- 同乐同乐 – Tóng lè tóng lè – Joy to you too
- 谢谢,也祝你新年快乐 – Xièxiè, yě zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè – Thank you, and Happy New Year to you too
- 同喜同喜 – Tóng xǐ tóng xǐ – Happiness to you too
- 恭喜发财 – Gōngxǐ fācái – Wish you wealth and prosperity too
- 一样一样 – Yíyàng yíyàng – Same to you
Chinese New Year
When Does Chinese New Year Happen?
Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, typically occurs between January 21 and February 20, depending on the lunar calendar.
Difference Between Chinese New Year and Solar New Year
Unlike the solar New Year, which is fixed on January 1st, the Chinese New Year is celebrated based on the lunar calendar. This celebration is rich in traditions, rituals, and it marks the transition between zodiac signs.
What Do People Do in the Chinese New Year?
During Chinese New Year, people engage in various activities such as cleaning their homes to sweep away bad fortune, decorating with red lanterns and couplets, giving red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) for luck, and enjoying reunion dinners with family.
Fireworks and dragon dances are also common to ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck and fortune for the coming year.
Conclusion
Knowing how to properly say “Happy New Year” in Chinese not only enriches your linguistic skills but also deepens your appreciation of Chinese culture. Whether you’re planning to celebrate with Chinese friends or participate in festivities, these phrases will certainly enhance your experience and social interactions. Here’s to a fantastic New Year filled with prosperity, happiness, and linguistic achievements!
Recommendation: Mochi Chinese App – Memorize 1000 words in 30 days
Mochi Chinese offers a range of features designed to enhance your learning experience, including interactive lessons, quizzes, spaced repetition and Golden Time techniques.
- Focus on Joyful Learning: Mochi Chinese aims to make learning Chinese fun and engaging.
- Bright Design & Adorable Mascots: The app uses cheerful colors and cute characters to keep you motivated.
- Spaced Repetition System: Smart algorithms help you review words at the perfect time to boost memorization.
Download the Mochi Chinese app on Google Play Store, App Store, or Web version!
