How To Say Happy New Year Chinese In 8 Different Ways

China is a country rich in culture that makes the Chinese new year celebration unique and vibrant. Chinese is a widely used language in the world that also exhibits the cultural aspects. There are many ways to express gestures on the new year. So, how to say happy new year Chinese in these different ways? 

In this blog post, you’ll learn the linguistic importance when it comes to New Year greeting. Whether you want to give warm wishes to friends or loved ones, you can express your sentiments by using different phrases. So, read the full article to know what phrases you can use to wish New Year. 

Part 1: What Is Chinese Happy New Year

Chinese Happy New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is a grand celebration in China. It exhibits the cultural and social significance in Chinese communities all over the world. It also indicates the beginning of the Chinese lunar calendar, usually falling between January 21 and February 20. 

Chinese Happy New Year 2024 will fall on February 10, and there will be a 7-day public holiday. The celebration is characterized by a wide range of customs and rituals, including family reunions, feasts, fireworks, lion and dragon dances, etc. You must be thinking about how to say Happy New Year Chinese at this festival. There are many ways to wish your family, friends, and colleagues for the New Year.

Part 2: How To Say Happy New Year Chinese Greetings–8 Ways

In the Chinese New Year celebrations, greetings have its importance as it acts as a bridge to connect the hearts. Besides, it is a sign of deep cultural respect and a wish for joy. Thus, exploring different ways to wish people on new year celebrations will tell you the cultural values. Following are the wishes for happy new year in chinese pronunciation;

新年快乐(xīnnián kuàilè)

It is a generic way to say “Happy New Year” in Mandarin that expresses a warm and universal greeting. During the Chinese New Year Celebrations, you can say these words to your friends and family. This greeting indicates joy, prosperity, and renewal for the next year. 

愿你生意兴隆(Yuàn nǐ shēngyì xīnglóng)

If you are thinking about how to say Happy New Year Chinese to your colleagues, you can say these words as a wish for prosperous business. This phrase is mostly used for entrepreneurs, business owners, or anyone engaged in commerce. However, the literal meaning of this phrase is “ May Your Business Prosper”. 

春节快乐(chūnjié kuàilè)

It is an alternative to Happy New Year that has a literal meaning “ Happy Spring Festival”. It is a widely used greeting phrase during Chinese New Year celebrations. This wish exhibits the cultural significance of the coming spring season. You can wish your family, friends, or colleagues by using this greeting. 

年年有余 (Nián nián yǒu yú)

How to say Happy New Year Chinese with deep sentiments? For this, you can use this phrase that has the literal meaning “Surplus Every Year”. It wishes for hope, continuous prosperity, and surplus in every aspect of life.  If you want to wish for every aspect, you can use this phrase for your loved ones. 

和气生财 (Héqì shēngcái)

This Chinese New Year greeting conveys the wish for harmony leading to prosperity. The literal meaning is “Peace Brings Money” that you can say to those for whom you want wealth and success in the coming year. It is among the Chinese New Year wishes that signifies the economic well-being in Chinese culture. 

万事如意 (Wàn Shì rú yì)

It conveys the wish for all things to go according to one’s desires and has a literal meaning “May All Go Well With You”. This greeting indicates the hope for the coming year with success, prosperity, and favorable outcomes. It is among the Chinese New Year wishes that promote positivity and optimism among others. 

身体健康 (Shēntǐ jiànkāng)

The meaning of this greeting is “Good Health” which is used to wish someone for the well-being in the coming year. When you think about how to say Happy New Year Chinese to elders, you can use this greeting. In Chinese culture, this phrase emphasizes the healthy body and prosperous life. 

岁岁平安 (Suì suì píng’ān)

This greeting has a literal meaning “Peaceful Always” that conveys a wish for peace and safety year after year. It is among the common Chinese New Year wishes that reflects universal hope for peace. You can wish the New Year to families and communities by using this phrase. 

Part 3: Importance Of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year has a significant cultural, social, and spiritual importance in Chinese communities worldwide. Besides its cultural importance, the festival emphasizes family unity, as many people travel long distances to spend time with their loved ones. So, how to say Happy New Year Chinese?

You can wish your loved ones good luck by using the most suitable phrase as per the person’s situation. However, Chinese New Year is a time of goodwill and sharing joy with family and friends. However, the dragon dances and the lantern festivals in the New Year celebration have a deep symbolic meaning. 

FAQs

Q1: When Is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, doesn’t have a fixed date on the Gregorian calendar. It follows the lunar calendar, usually falling between January 21 and February 20. This year the new year will fall on the 10th of February. The celebration lasts for 15 days that include Lantern festival, family gathering, feasts, lion and dragon dances, and different aspects of life and nature. 

Q2: Is Chinese New Year the Biggest Holiday In China?

Yes, Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most significant and widely celebrated holiday in China. It indicates a time for family gatherings, cultural rituals, feasts, greeting each other, etc. The dances, fireworks, food, and decorations reflect the cultural importance of the Chinese New Year. 

Summary

Understanding how to say Happy New Year Chinese in various ways exhibits the linguistic and cultural importance in Chinese communities worldwide. From generic expressions to specific wishes, these provided different sentiments for others in different situations. 

However, if you want to learn Chinese, you can join the Wukong classes. It provides the live lessons for the students of age 3-18 with in depth learning resources. As the Chinese New Year 2024 is approaching, you can choose the above mentioned greeting phrases to wish your family and friends.

Meng Lei

Master’s degree in Education from the University of Plymouth, UK. He has 8 years of Chinese literacy, Chinese classic words, Chinese pinyin and other Chinese enlightenment and international Chinese online teaching experience. He is proficient in Chinese and English and has served as a teacher in the K12 education system overseas for many years.