- 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè) works for any New Year, and over Spring Festival people also say 过年好 (guònián hǎo) to anyone they meet or call.
- 2027 is the Year of the Goat, starting on February 6, so add 羊年大吉 (yángnián dàjí) to your greeting.
- Match the wish to the person: 身体健康 (shēntǐ jiànkāng, good health) for elders, 工作顺利 (gōngzuò shùnlì, smooth work) for colleagues and 生意兴隆 (shēngyì xīnglóng, good business) for clients.
- Start a wish with 祝 (zhù), and when someone wishes you a happy New Year, you can reply 你也是 (nǐ yě shì), “you too,” or 您也是 (nín yě shì) to an elder.
The most common way to say happy new year in Chinese is 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè), often written xin nian kuai le. Tap the characters to hear a woman’s voice and the pinyin to hear a man’s. Over Spring Festival you’ll hear 过年好 (guònián hǎo) and 春节快乐 (Chūnjié kuàilè) just as often, and in a Goat year people add a few greetings that only work because of the goat.
There are 26 greetings on this page, each with audio. Jump to all 26 in one table.
01 How to Say Happy New Year in Chinese
新年快乐 is built from HSK 2 and 3 words, so even a beginner can say it. 恭喜发财 and 万事如意 come from the advanced end of the list, and most people learn them as set phrases.
新年快乐 | xīnnián kuàilè | Happy New Year
新年快乐 is the safe default. It works on January 1 and at Spring Festival, spoken or written, with anyone from a classmate to your boss. The 乐 here is lè, “happy,” and not yuè as in 音乐 (yīnyuè, music). To turn it into a wish, put 祝 (zhù) in front, then the person, then the wish.
祝你新年快乐！
Zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè!
Wishing you a happy New Year!
祝您和家人新年快乐！
Zhù nín hé jiārén xīnnián kuàilè!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
您 is the polite “you,” for elders, teachers and clients.
新年好 and 过年好
新年好 (xīnnián hǎo) is the New Year version of 你好. You say it when you meet someone in the first days of the year, and it works for both New Years. 过年好 (guònián hǎo) belongs to Spring Festival. 过年 means “to celebrate the New Year,” and 过年好 is what you say to anyone you meet or call over the festival, from the neighbors to your grandparents. It’s a little more northern, and in the south many people say 新年好 at Spring Festival too.
叔叔阿姨，过年好！
Shūshu āyí, guònián hǎo!
Happy New Year, uncle and auntie!
叔叔阿姨 (“uncle and auntie”) is how you greet a friend’s or partner’s parents, even though you aren’t related.
春节快乐 and 新春快乐
春节快乐 (Chūnjié kuàilè) means “Happy Spring Festival,” so save it for the Lunar New Year. 新春快乐 (xīnchūn kuàilè), “Happy New Spring,” is its written twin, seen on cards, company messages and shop banners.
恭喜发财 | gōngxǐ fācái | wishing you prosperity
Literally “congratulations, get rich,” 恭喜发财 is the jolliest greeting of the festival, for friends, family and the owner of your favorite noodle shop. Children often follow it with a cheeky, rhyming 红包拿来 (hóngbāo ná lái), “red packet, hand it over!” That’s a joke from kids (young adults sometimes type it teasingly in the family group chat), and some parents would rather their children didn’t say it at all. The spelling “Kung Hei Fat Choy” comes from Cantonese, which the FAQ explains.
How to reply to Happy New Year in Chinese
When someone says 新年好 or 过年好, just say it back. To a wish like 新年快乐, the easiest answer is 你也是 (nǐ yě shì), “you too.” In 你也是, 你 and 也 are both third tone, so 你 rises and you say ní yě shì, as both recordings do. Our guide to tone changes in Mandarin explains the rule. To an elder, a teacher or a client, say 您也是 (nín yě shì) instead. You can also put 也 (also) in front of a full wish:
也祝你新年快乐！
Yě zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè!
Happy New Year to you too!
If someone says 恭喜发财, answer 恭喜恭喜 (gōngxǐ gōngxǐ).
02 Greetings for the Year of the Goat (2027)
The Year of the Goat begins on Saturday, February 6, 2027, and Chinese New Year’s Eve is the night before, Friday, February 5. 羊年 (yángnián) means “Year of the Goat.” In the 60-year cycle of the Chinese calendar, 2027 is 丁未 (dīngwèi): 丁 is one of the two fire stems and 未 is the goat’s branch, which is why you’ll see it called the Fire Goat. Our page on the Chinese calendar explains the cycle, and China’s 2027 holidays lists the days off.
Goat, sheep or ram? 羊 (yáng) covers all of them. When Chinese speakers need to be exact they say 山羊 (shānyáng) for a goat and 绵羊 (miányáng) for a sheep, but the zodiac animal is simply 羊, and English sources translate it all three ways. We say Goat, and our page on the Year of the Goat covers the zodiac side.
羊年大吉 and 羊年吉祥
羊年大吉 (yángnián dàjí), “great luck in the Year of the Goat,” is the greeting that changes every year. Last year it was 马年大吉, for the Horse. 羊年吉祥 (yángnián jíxiáng) means much the same with a softer feel, and it sits well in a card.
祝大家羊年大吉！
Zhù dàjiā yángnián dàjí!
Great luck in the Year of the Goat, everyone!
The goat hides inside 吉祥 (jíxiáng), “auspicious,” too. Its second character, 祥 (xiáng), has 羊 on the right, and 羊 gives it its sound. In a 2015 explainer, People’s Daily pointed out that old texts often wrote 吉祥 as 吉羊, with the plain goat standing in for good luck.
三羊开泰 | sānyáng kāitài | three goats bring in good fortune
This is the Goat-year pun. The original saying is 三阳开泰 (sānyáng kāitài), from the hexagram 泰 in the Book of Changes, where three yang lines stand for the first lunar month and the return of spring. 阳 (yáng), “yang” or “the sun,” sounds exactly like 羊, so in a Goat year the three yang lines become three goats on cards and paper cuts. The People’s Daily piece, written in the last Goat year, called the goat spelling a forgivable play on words and added that 三阳开泰 itself suits any New Year.
喜气洋洋 | xǐqì yángyáng | full of joy
喜气洋洋 means “beaming with happiness.” Look at 洋 (yáng), “ocean”: water on the left and 羊 on the right, read yáng like the goat, so a Goat year makes this one an easy pick.
大吉大利 | dàjí dàlì | great luck and great profit
大吉大利 works in any year and pairs well with 羊年大吉. It’s printed in gold on the red packets our students and staff are holding in the photo at the top of this page.
03 Greetings for Family, Friends, Colleagues and Clients
Most New Year wishes follow one pattern: 祝, then 您 or 你, then a four-character wish. Put two wishes together and the message sounds complete.
| Chino | Pinyin | Significado | Who to say it to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 身体健康 | shēntǐ jiànkāng | good health | Grandparents, elders, family |
| 健康长寿 | jiànkāng chángshòu | good health and a long life | Grandparents and older people |
| 万事如意 | wànshì rúyì | may everything go as you wish | Anyone; pairs with 身体健康 |
| 阖家幸福 | héjiā xìngfú | happiness to your whole family | A family, in a formal message (阖 means whole) |
| 心想事成 | xīnxiǎng shìchéng | may all your wishes come true | Anyone |
| 工作顺利 | gōngzuò shùnlì | may your work go smoothly | Colleagues, your boss, anyone with a job |
| 步步高升 | bùbù gāoshēng | may you rise step by step | Colleagues, your manager |
| 生意兴隆 | shēngyì xīnglóng | may your business flourish | Clients, partners, shop owners |
| 财源广进 | cáiyuán guǎngjìn | may money pour in from every side | Business owners |
| 学习进步 | xuéxí jìnbù | may your studies go well | Children and students; Grandpa says it in Dialogue 1 |
| 平安顺遂 | píng'ān shùnsuì | safe and smooth all year | Formal and work messages |
For grandparents and elders
With older relatives, wish them health first and always use 您. 身体健康 pairs naturally with 万事如意:
祝您身体健康，万事如意！
Zhù nín shēntǐ jiànkāng, wànshì rúyì!
Wishing you good health and all you wish for!
祝爷爷奶奶健康长寿！
Zhù yéye nǎinai jiànkāng chángshòu!
Good health and long life, Grandpa and Grandma!
For colleagues and your boss
工作顺利 is safe with anyone who works. 步步高升, “rise step by step,” wishes someone a promotion. You can say it to colleagues, and to your own manager too: work group chats are full of 祝领导步步高升 every year.
祝你工作顺利，步步高升！
Zhù nǐ gōngzuò shùnlì, bùbù gāoshēng!
Hope work goes smoothly and you keep moving up!
If your boss owns the company, though, there is nowhere higher to go, so wish them 生意兴隆 instead. The line that suits any boss is this one:
祝您新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意！
Zhù nín xīnnián kuàilè, shēntǐ jiànkāng, wànshì rúyì!
Happy New Year, good health, and may all go as you wish!
For clients and shop owners
生意兴隆 and 财源广进 are the business pair, for clients and partners, or the family that runs the shop on your corner. Our guide to business Chinese phrases has more for work.
祝您生意兴隆，财源广进！
Zhù nín shēngyì xīnglóng, cáiyuán guǎngjìn!
May your business flourish and money pour in!
Three wishes in one line
One of our partner organizations sent us the same New Year line in 2022, 2025 and 2026, changing only the animal. For 2027 it becomes this (they write 您, which suits a client or an elder; we’ve used 你, for a colleague or friend):
祝你新年快乐，羊年大吉，平安顺遂！
Zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè, yángnián dàjí, píng'ān shùnsuì!
Happy New Year, great luck in the Year of the Goat, and a safe, smooth year!
平安顺遂 means “safe and smooth all year.” It leans formal, so it’s best in written messages and work email.
04 Lucky Wordplay, the Upside-Down 福 and How to Write It
年年有余 | niánnián yǒu yú | may you have plenty every year
余 (yú), “surplus,” sounds exactly like 鱼 (yú), “fish,” so 年年有余 also sounds like “may you have fish every year.” That’s why fish is served at the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner and turns up on New Year decorations. Our Chinese New Year guide covers the rest of the menu.
岁岁平安 | suìsuì píng'ān | peace year after year
Breaking something at New Year is meant to bring bad luck, so if a bowl or a glass breaks, someone says 岁岁平安 straight away. 碎 (suì), “to break,” sounds like 岁 (suì), “year,” which turns the accident into a wish for peace. Online you’ll also see it written 碎碎平安 (suìsuì píng'ān), with the “broken” 碎 spelled out as a joke.
没事，岁岁平安！
Méishì, suìsuì píng'ān!
Never mind, peace year after year!
Why 福 hangs upside down
福 (fú) means “good fortune,” and around the festival you’ll see it on squares of red paper on doors, often upside down. Traditionally the one on the main front door stays upright, and the upside-down ones go on inside doors and cupboards. Upside down is 倒 (dào), which sounds like 到 (dào), “to arrive,” so an upside-down 福 says 福到了 (fú dào le), “good fortune has arrived.” Beside the front door go 春联 (chūnlián), red Spring Festival couplets with a line of good wishes on each side.
How to write Happy New Year in Chinese
新年快乐 takes 31 strokes: 13 for 新, 6 for 年, 7 for 快 and 5 for 乐. 福 has 13 strokes. Its left side is a narrow form of 示 (shì), which on the left of a character stands for altars and the spirits, and its right side gives the character its sound, fú. 春 (chūn), “spring,” has 9 strokes. Tap the characters in the table to watch each one written stroke by stroke.
| Chino | Pinyin | Significado | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 福 | fú | good fortune | 13 |
| 春 | chūn | primavera | 9 |
| 羊 | yáng | goat; sheep | 6 |
| 新年快乐 | xīnnián kuàilè | Feliz Año Nuevo | 31 |
| 恭喜发财 | gōngxǐ fācái | wishing you prosperity | 34 |
Our guide to Chinese stroke order covers the rules, and if you’d like to try a brush, start with Chinese calligraphy.
Say It to a Real Teacher Before the Holiday
Try these greetings out loud in a free 30-minute online lesson with one of our teachers in Guilin, China. Your teacher will tell you which tones to work on, and you’ll still have time to practice before Spring Festival.
05 New Year Calls, WeChat Messages and Red Packets
给您拜年了 | gěi nín bàinián le | wishing you a happy New Year
拜年 (bàinián) is the New Year call: visiting or phoning relatives, teachers and friends to wish them well. 给您拜年了 literally means “I’m paying you my New Year call,” and you say it when you call or visit anyone you’d address as 您.
拜个早年 and 拜个晚年
拜个早年 (bài gè zǎonián) is an early Happy New Year and 拜个晚年 (bài gè wǎnnián) a belated one. Chen Lianshan, a folklorist at Peking University, told China Daily that an early greeting fits once the Little New Year has passed. That falls on the 23rd of the last lunar month (the 24th in the south), about a week before 除夕 (Chúxī), New Year’s Eve. In 2027 the Eve is February 5. From around the fifth day of the New Year, he adds, a greeting counts as late, so people say 拜个晚年 when they meet. An old saying holds that a sincere New Year greeting isn’t late until the 15th, the Lantern Festival.
给您拜个早年！
Gěi nín bài gè zǎonián!
An early Happy New Year to you!
People also say it to anyone they won’t see again before the holiday, on the last day at work or at the last class, even before the Little New Year.
WeChat red packets
A 红包 (hóngbāo) is money in a red envelope. Since 2014 people have also sent them on WeChat. In a family group someone will 发红包 (fā hóngbāo), send a red packet, and everyone else races to 抢红包 (qiǎng hóngbāo), grab it, because there are only so many shares to go round. Over Spring Festival 2019, from February 4 to 9, about 823 million people sent or received digital red packets, Xinhua reported.
On WeChat, write your own line with the person’s name in it, such as 王叔叔、李阿姨，过年好！ (Wáng shūshu, Lǐ āyí, guònián hǎo!, “Happy New Year, Uncle Wang and Auntie Li!”). It takes ten seconds and reads far warmer than a forwarded picture of a goat.
Red-packet etiquette
The money in a child’s red packet is 压岁钱 (yāsuìqián), New Year money. Give and receive red packets with both hands, use crisp new notes, avoid any amount with a 4 in it, and don’t open one in front of the person who gave it. Our guide to hongbao covers who gives to whom, and when you receive one, our guide to thank you in Chinese has warmer ways to say thanks.
06 Words to Avoid at Chinese New Year
The first days of the year are meant to set the tone for the months ahead, so people steer clear of unlucky words. The big ones are 死 (sǐ), “to die,” and 病 (bìng), “illness,” and the number 四 (sì), four, because it sounds close to 死. Many people also avoid talking about debts or lending money over the festival, and if something breaks, you already know to say 岁岁平安. Our guide to Chinese numerology explains why fours are unlucky.
Plenty of people treat these rules lightly now, and nobody expects a foreign friend to know them all. Older relatives do notice, though, so at a family dinner keep the talk on health, food and the year ahead.
07 Práctica: tres diálogos cortos y un cuestionario
Toca el ícono del altavoz después de una frase para escucharla y luego dila tú.
Dialogue 1: A video call to Grandpa
乖 (guāi), “good, well-behaved,” is what grandparents call a good child, so 乖孙女 means “good granddaughter.”
Dialogue 2: First day back at work
姐 (older sister) after a surname, as in 王姐, is a friendly way to address a woman colleague who is a little older than you.
On the first working day after the holiday, people say 开工大吉 (kāigōng dàjí), “a lucky start to work,” and posts it in the work group chat. Bosses often hand out a 开工红包 (kāigōng hóngbāo), a start-of-work red packet, that day.
Dialogue 3: The family WeChat group
舅舅 is your mother’s brother. Your father’s brothers have different words, so it’s worth learning the ones for your own family.
Cuestionario: ¿qué dirías?
1. You’re on a video call with your friend’s grandmother. What do you wish her?
(a) 红包拿来 hóngbāo ná lái (b) 身体健康 shēntǐ jiànkāng (c) 步步高升 bùbù gāoshēng
Respuesta
(b) 身体健康 shēntǐ jiànkāng. Wish an elder health, and use 您: 祝您身体健康，万事如意！ Zhù nín shēntǐ jiànkāng, wànshì rúyì!
2. A glass falls off the table at the New Year’s Eve dinner. What will someone say?
(a) 岁岁平安 suìsuì píng'ān (b) 新年好 xīnnián hǎo (c) 生意兴隆 shēngyì xīnglóng
Respuesta
(a) 岁岁平安 suìsuì píng'ān. 碎 (break) sounds like 岁 (year).
3. Your client runs a restaurant. Which wish fits?
(a) 学习进步 xuéxí jìnbù (b) 生意兴隆 shēngyì xīnglóng (c) 健康长寿 jiànkāng chángshòu
Respuesta
(b) 生意兴隆 shēngyì xīnglóng, “may your business flourish.”
4. It’s February 1, 2027, and you’re messaging your teacher. What do you write?
(a) 拜个早年 bài gè zǎonián (b) 拜个晚年 bài gè wǎnnián (c) 红包拿来 hóngbāo ná lái
Respuesta
(a) 拜个早年 bài gè zǎonián. The Eve is February 5, so your greeting is early: 给您拜个早年！ Gěi nín bài gè zǎonián!
5. A friend says 新年快乐! How do you answer?
(a) 你也是 nǐ yě shì (b) 岁岁平安 suìsuì píng'ān (c) 拜个晚年 bài gè wǎnnián
Respuesta
(a) 你也是 nǐ yě shì. The longer 也祝你新年快乐！ Yě zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè! works too.
6. You walk into your partner’s parents’ home on the first day of Chinese New Year. What do you say first?
(a) 你也是 nǐ yě shì (b) 叔叔阿姨，过年好！ Shūshu āyí, guònián hǎo! (c) 给您拜个早年！ Gěi nín bài gè zǎonián!
Respuesta
(b) 叔叔阿姨，过年好！ Shūshu āyí, guònián hǎo! Greet them as uncle and auntie first. 拜个早年 is only for before the Eve.
08 Chinese New Year Greetings: Vocabulary List
Here are all 26 greetings from this guide. Related words and the two replies have their own tables below.
| # | Chino | Pinyin | Significado | Cuándo usarla | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 新年快乐 | xīnnián kuàilè | Feliz Año Nuevo | Any New Year | frase |
| 2 | 新年好 | xīnnián hǎo | Feliz Año Nuevo | Meeting someone | frase |
| 3 | 过年好 | guònián hǎo | Happy (Chinese) New Year | Anyone, over Spring Festival | frase |
| 4 | 春节快乐 | Chūnjié kuàilè | Happy Spring Festival | Fiesta de la Primavera | frase |
| 5 | 新春快乐 | xīnchūn kuàilè | Happy New Spring | Cards, banners | frase |
| 6 | 恭喜发财 | gōngxǐ fācái | wishing you prosperity | Friends, shopkeepers | frase |
| 7 | 羊年大吉 | yángnián dàjí | great luck in the Year of the Goat | The Goat year | frase |
| 8 | 羊年吉祥 | yángnián jíxiáng | may the Year of the Goat be auspicious | 2027 cards | frase |
| 9 | 三羊开泰 | sānyáng kāitài | three goats bring in good fortune | Goat-year cards | frase |
| 10 | 喜气洋洋 | xǐqì yángyáng | beaming with happiness | Any time | frase |
| 11 | 大吉大利 | dàjí dàlì | great luck and great profit | Any year | frase |
| 12 | 身体健康 | shēntǐ jiànkāng | good health | Elders and family | frase |
| 13 | 健康长寿 | jiànkāng chángshòu | good health and a long life | Grandparents | frase |
| 14 | 万事如意 | wànshì rúyì | may everything go as you wish | Anyone | frase |
| 15 | 阖家幸福 | héjiā xìngfú | happiness to your whole family | Formal messages | frase |
| 16 | 心想事成 | xīnxiǎng shìchéng | may all your wishes come true | Anyone | 7–9 |
| 17 | 工作顺利 | gōngzuò shùnlì | may your work go smoothly | Anyone who works | frase |
| 18 | 步步高升 | bùbù gāoshēng | may you rise step by step | Colleagues, your manager | frase |
| 19 | 生意兴隆 | shēngyì xīnglóng | may your business flourish | Clients, shop owners | frase |
| 20 | 财源广进 | cáiyuán guǎngjìn | may money pour in from every side | Business owners | frase |
| 21 | 学习进步 | xuéxí jìnbù | may your studies go well | Children and students | frase |
| 22 | 平安顺遂 | píng'ān shùnsuì | safe and smooth all year | Written messages | frase |
| 23 | 年年有余 | niánnián yǒu yú | may you have plenty every year | Cena de reencuentro | frase |
| 24 | 岁岁平安 | suìsuì píng'ān | peace year after year | When something breaks | frase |
| 25 | 给您拜年了 | gěi nín bàinián le | wishing you a happy New Year | Calls to elders | frase |
| 26 | 拜个早年 | bài gè zǎonián | an early Happy New Year | Before the Eve | frase |
Palabras relacionadas
| Chino | Pinyin | Significado | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 拜年 | bàinián | to pay a New Year call | 6 |
| 红包 | hóngbāo | red packet | 4 |
| 压岁钱 | yāsuìqián | New Year money for children | 5 |
| 除夕 | Chúxī | Chinese New Year’s Eve | 5 |
| 春联 | chūnlián | Spring Festival couplets | no figura |
| 福 | fú | good fortune | 5 |
| 羊 | yáng | goat; sheep | 3 |
| 山羊 | shānyáng | goat | no figura |
| 绵羊 | miányáng | sheep | no figura |
Respuestas
| Chino | Pinyin | Significado | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你也是 | nǐ yě shì | you too | frase |
| 恭喜恭喜 | gōngxǐ gōngxǐ | congratulations (back to 恭喜发财) | frase |
Levels are from HSK 3.0 (7–9 is the advanced band). “Phrase” means the list has no entry for the whole phrase, and “not listed” means the word isn’t on it.
09 FAQ About Chinese New Year Greetings
How do you say Happy New Year in Chinese?
Say 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè). Over Spring Festival you’ll also hear 过年好 (guònián hǎo) and 春节快乐 (Chūnjié kuàilè).
What do you say for the Year of the Goat in 2027?
Say 羊年大吉 (yángnián dàjí), “great luck in the Year of the Goat.” On cards you’ll also see 三羊开泰 (sānyáng kāitài) and 喜气洋洋 (xǐqì yángyáng). The Year of the Goat begins on February 6, 2027.
How do you write Happy New Year in Chinese characters?
Happy New Year is written 新年快乐, four characters with 31 strokes in all. The traditional form is 新年快樂.
Is it Gong Xi Fa Cai or Kung Hei Fat Choy?
Both are the same greeting, 恭喜发财. Gōngxǐ fācái is the Mandarin, and “Kung Hei Fat Choy” is an English spelling of how Cantonese speakers say it (gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4 in Jyutping, the usual romanization for Cantonese). The traditional form is 恭喜發財. Our guide to Mandarin vs Cantonese explains how the two differ.
Can you say 新年快乐 on January 1?
Yes. 新年快乐 and 新年好 work for both New Years, while 过年好 and 春节快乐 are only for Spring Festival.
What should you not say at Chinese New Year?
Avoid words for death and illness, and the number four, which sounds close to the word for death. If something breaks, say 岁岁平安 (suìsuì píng'ān), “peace year after year.”
10 Sigue adelante
Start with 新年快乐 and 过年好, then choose one wish for each person you’ll greet this year. If you’re new to Chinese, our free Chinese course has six short Mandarin lessons for complete beginners. To try your greetings on a real person before Spring Festival, book a free 30-minute trial lesson with one of our teachers.
And if you’d like to hear Chinese all around you every day, come and study with us in Guilin on our Immersion Program.
