The Most Common Chinese New Year Greetings
How to Wish Someone Well
To begin any well-wishes you will need to begin your greeting with "祝你 (zhù nǐ)." More formally or to an elder you would use 祝您 (zhu nín). This literally translates to "wish you." So, you can say "I wish you a Happy New Year," by saying "祝你 新年快樂 (zhù nǐ īn nián kuài lè)." You can add these two words to any greeting including the ones we will list below.
Wishing Someone Wealth and Prosperity
It is common in Chinese culture to wish someone wealth. Most likely you have heard people say 恭禧發財 (gōng xǐ fā cái). It is often used as a greeting on Chinese New Year. This greeting translates to wishing someone prosperity in the new year. 恭(gōng) means "respectfully" while 禧 (xǐ) means joy. Together it is a way to say congratulations or respectfully wishing one joy. 發財 (fā cái) means to become rich. Therefore, all together you’re respectfully wishing someone wealth. 恭禧發財 (gōng xǐ fā cái) is also an important greeting on Chinese New Year, because in order to receive your red envelope full of money, you will need to say to the person giving you the red envelope, 恭禧發財 (gōng xǐ fā cái).
財源滾滾 (cái yuán gǔn gǔn) – May wealth come pouring in.
大吉大利 (dà jí dà lì) – May you have great luck and great wealth.
事业发达 (shì yè fā dá) – May your career take off.
生意兴隆 (shēng yì xīng lóng) – May your business flourish.
和气生财 (hé qì shēng cái) – May harmony bring wealth.
金玉滿堂 (jīn yù mǎn táng) – May your gold and jade fill the halls.
学习进步 (xuéxí jìnbù) – May you progress in your studies.
工作顺利 (gōng zuò shùn lì) – May your work go smoothly.
Wishing Someone Good Health and Happiness
Of course, wishing someone good health and happiness is just as important. Without health and happiness, you cannot enjoy your wealth. Here are a few ways to wish someone good health and/or happiness:
身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng) – Wishing you good health (literally "body health").
笑口常开 (xiào kǒu cháng kāi) – May you smile and laugh often.
心想事成 (xīn xiǎng shì chéng) – May all your wishes come true.
福壽雙全 (fú shòu shuāng quán) – May you enjoy longevity and blessings.
岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān) – Wishing you everlasting peace throughout the years.
和氣吉祥全家樂 (hé qì jí xiáng quán jiā lè) – Wishing you harmony and joy for the whole family.
年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú) – Wishing you surplus year after year.
龙马精神 (lóng mǎ jīngshén) – Wishing you the spirit of the dragon and horse.
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Justine Wentzell is a writer based in Los Angeles, working in the entertainment industry, and has a deep love for learning languages. As a native Angeleno and daughter of immigrants, she grew up learning Mandarin and Spanish, and studied Russian at university.
Unlike the traditional January 1st New Year, the date of Chinese New Year varies from year to year since it is based on the lunar calendar.
However, Chinese New Year consistently falls on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. In China, the Chinese New Year is more commonly known as Spring Festival.
Names aside, celebrations generally start on the eve of the New Year and end on the 15th day with the Lantern Festival where decorated lanterns are displayed in temples. Chinese Year 4717 starts on February 1st of 2022 and it’s the Year of the Water-Tiger
On Chinese New Year, people wish each other unique messages, sayings, and quotes. They also greet their colleagues, teachers, and superiors. Messages are delivered for good fortune, wealth, health, and prosperity.
The world record for most text messages sent in a day is broken each year during the Chinese New Year.
How to Wish Someone Happy Chinese New Year 2022
The most frequent way to wish someone a happy New Year in Chinese is "Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) or Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese) " which translates "Happiness and prosperity".
The Lunar New Year does not begin until you hear, “I wish you prosperity and wealth.” Money is extremely important to support the family and it is an indispensable need of ours. This wish expresses the desire for the person to whom it is addressed to have a lot of money. In China, but also in the entire diaspora, this is still one of the most common Chinese New Year's wishes.
We can also wish good luck to our family and friends in the coming year using "Xin Nian Kuai le, wan shi ru yi” which translates "Happy New Year and I hope all goes well with you"
Why wish someone just a happy New Year? One can add the desire that we send to the recipient of the wish not to lose hope that all things in his life will go well.
Happy New Year and good luck! This is one of the most common wishes of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2022 and one of the most ubiquitous and can be addressed to both young and old, close relatives and acquaintances.
Other popular and traditional Chinese New Year 2022 Greetings are:
• Gong hei fat choy ! May all your dreams come true. I wish you a very happy new year with good luck, health, and prosperity.
• Nián nián yǒu yú nyen-nyen yoh-yoo! Happy Chinese New Year 2022!
• Celebrate the Year of the Water Tiger in festive fashion! Chinese Happy New Year !
• May the Year of the Tiger bring you good luck & good fortune. Happy Chinese New Year 2022!
• May peace and prosperity come to you in the New Year! Gong Xi Fa Chai! 2022 Happy Chinese New Year!
Because 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, Chinese New Year's wishes should also contain the words "happy" and "Tiger" .
• Wishing you luck in the year of the Tiger!
• Wishing you forge ahead with the vigor and vitality of the tiger!
• In 2022 I wish you to be like a Tiger: fearless and a good leader!
• I wish you to live one year as a Tiger, instead of a hundred as a sheep!
Happy Chinese New Year 2022 Messages for Friends
• May this year bring you lots of happiness and witness you becoming a much better person. Wishing you good health and abundance in the New Year 2022.
• Happy Lunar New Year, buddy. I pray for all your wishes to come true. Stay blessed!
• Best Wishes for the Chinese New Year to fulfill your hopes and dreams. Have a wonderful Chinese New Year with your family and friends
• Happy Chinese New Year 2022 of the Tiger my dear friend!
• We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is Chinese New Year's Day.
• Years come and go, But this year I especially wish for you, a double dose of health and happiness topped with loads of good fortune. Have a great year ahead! HAPPY YEAR OF THE TIGER!!!!
A happy Lunar New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here!
Oh my Dear, Forget your Fear,
Let all your Dreams be Clear,
Never put Tear, Please Hear,
I want to tell one thing in your Ear
Wishing you a very Happy CHINESE NEW YEAR 2022!
I Wish God gives You…
12 Month of Happiness,
52 Weeks of Fun,
365 Days Success,
8760 Hours Good Health,
52600 Minutes Good Luck,
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2022 !
Funny Chinese New Year 2022 Messages
Some of the most interesting funny Chinese New Year messages are :
• Merry Christmas, Enjoy New Year, Happy Easter, Good luck on Valentines, Spooky Halloween & Happy Birthday. Now bug off and don't annoy me for the next 12 months!!!!
• Chinese New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. Happy Chinese New Year 2022.
• There have been many times in 2022
When I may disturbed you
Troubled you
Irritated you
Bugged you
On Chinese New Year's Day, I just wanna tell you
I plan to continue it in the Year of the Tiger 2022!
Year of the Tiger 2022 Greetings for Colleagues
• Dear colleagues, Chinese New Year is here, it is the year of the Tiger! I wish you to have the audacity and courage to enjoy great success with your loved ones. In the new year, be richer, healthier, happier!
• The Chinese New Year is knocking at the door! Dear colleagues, I wish you to live the coming year as you wish, without sadness, without disappointments, but with a smile on your face, always with money in your pocket and with the hope that it will be even better with each passing day in the calendar. Always have good and devoted friends by your side! Happy Chinese New Year 2022!
• In the new year of the Tiger 2022, I wish you to be healthy, to grow professionally, to receive generous bonuses, to have as easy working days as possible, to have your wishes fulfilled. Happy New Year!
Chinese New Year Messages for Bosses & Business
In order to have a good business relationship with your bosses and customers, it is good to share a few auspicious wishes for the Chinese New Year.
• “May the Chinese New Year 2022 find you with good thoughts and dear friends and reserve for you the highest achievements”
• “May love, wisdom, trust and generosity guide your steps in the new year! Happy Chinese Year in 2022! "
• “May all the dreams you make in these magical days come true and may the road to their realization bring you joy in your hearts, and happiness and abundance in your homes. Happy Year of the Tiger 2022! "
• " A year richer in accomplishments, higher in aspirations, and full of success. Happy Chinese New Year 2022!”