HKDictionary

Chinese New Year Greetings

Kung hei fat choi! 恭喜發財 (gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4) is the greeting everyone knows, but locals exchange a whole set of four-character blessings over Lunar New Year — wishing health, success, and abundance. Learn all five with audio.

gungˉ¹恭heiˊ²喜faat˗₃發coiˎ₄財
Chinese New Year greeting, "May the New Year bring you prosperity!"
sanˉ¹身taiˊ²體ginˍ₆健hongˉ¹康
"Wishing you Good Health" - used as a festive greeting at Chinese New Year and other special occasions. This is a suitable phrase to use with older people.
samˉ¹心soengˊ²想siˍ₆事singˎ₄成
get a wish, wish come true
maanˍ₆萬siˍ₆事jyuˎ₄如ji˗₃意
(to wish somebody) to have one's way in everything
ninˎ₄年ninˎ₄年jauˏ₅有jyuˎ₄餘
(may you) have plenty to spare every year; (may you) have a surplus year after year; (may you) have abundance (in wealth) year in year out

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say Happy New Year in Cantonese?

The famous one is 恭喜發財 (gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4), literally wishing you wealth — the classic Lunar New Year greeting, kung hei fat choi.

What do you say back to 恭喜發財?

Reply with another blessing like 身體健康 (san1 tai2 gin6 hong1, good health) or 萬事如意 (maan6 si6 jyu4 ji3, may everything go your way).

What does 年年有餘 (nin4 nin4 jau5 jyu4) mean?

Abundance year after year — a wish for surplus. 餘 (surplus) sounds like 魚 (fish), which is why fish is eaten at New Year.

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