Chinese New Year in 2020 falls on Saturday January 25th, being the start of the Year of the Rat. Just like Christmas in Western countries, Chinese New Year is a grand occasion in China and matters a lot for Chinese people all over the world. Do you know any traditional sayings for Chinese New Year? Here are some simple but practical Chinese New Year greetings and wishes for 2020. Learn them with us and say one to your family and friends!
How to Say Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese
Chinese New Year greetings in Mandarin and Cantonese pronounce totally different, even though they share the same meanings and characters. There are three ways to say “Happy Chinese New Year” in Chinese:
| English | Chinese Characters | In Mandarin | In Cantonese |
| Happy Chinese New Year! | 新年快乐! | /sshin-nyen kwhy-ler/ | /sen-nin feye-lor/ |
| 新年好! | /sshin-nyen haoww/ | /sen-nin haow/ | |
| 过年好! | /gwor-nyen haoww/ | /gwor-nin haow/ |
Most Popular Chinese New Year Sayings for 2020
Among the numerous Chinese New Year greeting phrases, some are simple but with people’s most common wishes. Below are the three most popular lucky phrases to say on Chinese New Year:
| English | Chinese | In Mandarin | In Cantonese |
| Happy Chinese New Year! | 新年快乐! | xīn nián kuài lè | /sen-nin feye-lor/ |
| Happy Spring Festival! | 新春快乐! | xīn chūn kuài lè | /sen-ceon feye-lor/ |
| Happy Year of the Rat! | 鼠年快乐! | shǔ nián kuài lè | /syu-nin feye-lor/ |
| Wishing you happiness and prosperity! | 恭喜发财! | gōng xǐ fā cái | Kunghei fatchoy /gong-hey faa-chwhy/ |
| Good luck! | 大吉大利! | dà jí dà lì | /taai-gat taai lei/ |
| May all your wishes come true. | 心想事成! | xīn xiǎng shì chéng | /sam-soeng si-sing/ |
| May everything turn out as you wish in the coming year! | 祝你新的一年万事如意! | zhù nǐ xīn de yì nián wàn shì rú yì | /zuk-nei sen-dik jat-nin mak-si jyu-ji/ |
Best Wishes for Family & Health:
| Chinese | English |
| hé jiā huān lè 阖家欢乐! | Wishing you happy family life! |
| shēn tǐ jiàn kāng 身体健康! | Wishing you good health! |
| nián nián yǒu yú 年年有余! | May you always have more than you wish for! |
| suì suì píng ān 岁岁平安! | May you have peace year after year! |
Traditional Greetings for Fortune & Career:
| Chinese | English |
| gōng xǐ fā cái 恭喜发财! | Wishing you a prosperous New Year! |
| cái yuán guǎng jìn 财源广进! | Wishing you plenty of money! |
| gōng zuò shùn lì 工作顺利! | Wishing you a good time at work! |
Good Sayings for Students:
| Chinese | English |
| xué xí jìn bù 学习进步! | May you make good progress in your studies! |
| xué yè yǒu chéng 学业有成! | Wishing you academic success! |
It is a tradition for Chinese people to greet with best wishes during Chinese New Year, which shows their joy and love to each other. Now you’ve learned, why not say “Xin Nian Kuai Le” loudly to the one around you!
Credit: Chinese Travel
