The top 10 ways to say Happy New Year in Chinese – phrases in Cantonese and Mandarin
- Impress the hosts at your January 1 Chinese party or Chinese New Year event by memorising these four-word greetings
- Covering everything from the recipient’s health and wealth to success in their career and the fulfilment of their dreams, they are bound to go down well
How to say Happy New Year in Chinese? The most common way in Cantonese is to say san nin faai lok, and in Mandarin Chinese, xīn nián kuài lè.
If you plan to attend a Chinese New Year gathering in February and are looking to expand your repertoire of greetings for family and friends, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 ways to say Happy New Year in Chinese, just in case you need some brushing up.
1. Happy New Year – san nin faai lok (Cantonese) or xīn nián kuài lè (Mandarin)
You’ll hear this phrase everywhere once the Spring Festival – as Chinese New Year is also called – rolls around, but it’s also used for the new year on the Gregorian calendar – January 1 – because of its literal translation.
The most common way to wish someone a happy new year in Chinese, these characters technically spell out “new year happy” – but you get the gist!
2. May you be prosperous – gung hei faat choi or gōng xǐ fā cái
