Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important festival in China. People say greetings to each other to wish the best lucks in the new year.
Many greetings have been developed over the years. In old time, people can only say greetings when they meet each other, but greetings messages are more popular nowadays. People started to send greetings messages from the New Year Eve, and it is common for a person to receive hundreds of greetings from families, friends, relatives and coworkers etc.
When people meet together, they often start with the following Chinese New Year Greetings:
| Greeting | Pin Yin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 新年快乐 | xīn nián kuài lè | Happy New Year |
| 新年好 | xīn nián hǎo | Happy New Year |
| 过年好 | guò nián hǎo | Happy New Year |
| 恭喜发财 | gōng xǐ fā cái | Wish you get rich |
There are more words in the greeting messages, sometimes with pictures and music. The following are most popular greetings, however, people often pick up several phases together with "新年快乐 (Happy New Year)" in one message. They also add "wish you" before the greetings:
- 祝你 (zhù nǐ): wish you – to the same or younger generation
- 祝您 (zhù nín): wish you – to seniors or respected ones
For example:
祝您新年快乐, 工作顺利, 阖家幸福, 财源滚滚.
Greetings for best wishes:
| Greeting | Pin Yin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 万事如意 | wàn shì rú yì | Everything goes well |
| 心想事成 | xīn xiǎnɡ shì chénɡ | All wishes come true |
| 身体健康 | shēn tǐ jiàn kānɡ | Stay good health |
Greetings for happy families:
| Greeting | Pin Yin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 阖家欢乐 | hé jiā huān lè | Be Happy for the whole family |
| 阖家幸福 | hé jiā xìng fú | Be Happy for the whole family |
| 家庭美满 | jiā tíng měi mǎn | Happy family |
Greetings for work and Study:
| Greeting | Pin Yin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 学业有成 | xué yè yǒu chénɡ | Be successful in academic |
| 工作顺利 | gōng zuò shùn lì] | All the best in your work |
| 事业有成 | shì yè yǒu chénɡ | Be successful in career |
Greetings for fortune and Business:
| Greeting | Pin Yin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 生意兴隆 | shēng yi xīng lóng | Thriving and prosperous business |
| 大吉大利 | dà jí dà lì | Good luck and fortuue |
| 财源滚滚 | cái yuán gǔn gǔn | Profits pouring in from all sides |