Lunar (Chinese) New Year Greetings
While most countries celebrate the new year based on the Georgorian calendar, some countries still celebrate based on a lunar calendar.
If you find yourself in a country or community that celebrates the lunar new year, here are a few different ways you can say “happy new year” to friends, relatives, and even strangers!
新年快樂 (sàn nìhn faai lohk)( San nin fai lok) “Happy New Year”
恭喜發財 (gùng héi faat chōi)( Gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4) — “Happiness and Prosperity” used at Chinese New Year
恭喜發財,利是逗來; (gung1hei2 faat3coi4, lei6 si6 dau6 loi4), “Wishing you happiness and prosperity, give me a red envelope!”.
恭喜發財，利是逗來，斗零唔愛 (Gung Hei Fat Choy, Lai Si Tau Loi, Tau Ling M Ngoi)
新年快樂 (sin1ngien2 kuai5lok8)( Sin Ngen Kai Lok) “Happy New Year”
恭喜發財 (giung1 hi3 fat7 coi2) (Gung hee fatt choi) — “Happiness and Prosperity” used at Chinese New Year
恭喜發財，紅包逗來 (Gung hee fatt choi, hung bao diu loi) “Wishing you happiness and prosperity, give me a red envelope!”.
Chinese (Hokkien)
恭喜發財 (Kiong hee huat chai)( Kiong Hee Huat Tsai) “Happiness and Prosperity” used at Chinese New Year
恭喜發財 [恭喜发财] (Gōng xǐ fā cái): “Happiness and Prosperity”
This is one of the most commonly used greetings in Chinese New Year, which is a wish for one to receive happiness and prosperity.
新年快樂 [新年快乐] (Xīn nián kuài lè): “Happy New Year” The “Gōng xǐ fā cái” greeting is usually followed up by this Happy New Year phrase.
大吉大利 (Dà jí dà lì): “Lots of luck and profits”
身体健康 (Shēn tǐ jiàn kāng): “Enjoy good health”
阖家幸福 (Hé jiā xìng fú): “Happiness for the whole family”
工作顺利 (Gōng zuò shùn lì): “May your work go smoothly”
吉祥如意 (jí xiáng rú yì): “Good fortune according to your wishes”
金玉滿堂 Jīnyùmǎntáng — “May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall”
大展鴻圖 Dàzhǎnhóngtú — “May you realize your ambitions”
迎春接福 Yíngchúnjiēfú — “Greet the New Year and encounter happiness”
萬事如意 Wànshìrúyì — “May all your wishes be fulfilled”
吉慶有餘 Jíqìngyǒuyú — “May your happiness be without limit”
竹報平安 Zhúbàopíng’ān — “May you hear [in a letter] that all is well”
一本萬利 Yīběnwànlì — “May a small investment bring ten-thousand fold profits”
福壽雙全 Fúshòushuāngquán — “May your happiness and longevity be complete”
招財進寶 Zhāocáijìnbǎo — “When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow”恭喜發財，紅包拿來 (gōngxǐfācái, hóngbāo nálái) “Wishing you happiness and prosperity, give me a red envelope!”
新年快乐 (xing ni khuâ loq) “Happy New Year”
恭喜发财 (gong xi fa ze) — used at Chinese New Year
Chinese (Taishanese)
新年快乐 (Slin Nen Fai Lok): “Happy New Year”
新年快樂 (sin-nî khòai-lo̍k) “Happy New Year”
恭喜發財 (kiong-hí hoat-châi) — “Happiness and Prosperity” used at Chinese New Year
新年快乐 (Sing1nin5 kuai3lag8) “Happy New Year”
Fijian — Na tawase ni yabaki vou
Hawaiian — Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou
Hmong — Nyob zoo xyoo tshiab
Indonesian — Selamat tahun baru
New Year greeting — ‘Western’ style
新年おめでとうございます (shinnen omedetō gozaimasu)
New Year greetings (used before New Year)
良いお年を (yoi otoshi o) — informal
良いお年をお迎え下さい (yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai) — formal
New Year greetings (used at New Year, not before)
明けましておめでとうございます
(akemashite omedetō gozaimasu)
旧年中大変お世話になりました
(kyūnenjū taihen osewa ni narimashita)
今年もよろしくお願いします
(kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu)
새해 복 많이 받으시고,가정에 항상 웃음꽃 피시길 기원합니다
(saehae bong manh-i bad-eusigo, gajeong-e hangsang us-eumkkoch pisigil giwonhabnida) “Happy New Year” To be more specific, this phrase means “Please receive lots of luck this New Year”, but it is generally understood among Koreans as the standard Lunar New Year greeting.
희망찬새해되세요 (hee mang chan sae hae dwe se yo): “May your New Year be filled with hope”
새해에는가정에행복이가득하길바랍니다 (sae hae e neun ga jeong e haeng bok i ga deuk ha gil ba ram ni da): “Wishing you abundant happiness within your family”
행복한 새해 되세요 (haengboghan saehae doeseyo)
새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bong manh-i bad-euseyo) (sae hae bog manhi bad eu se yo)
Lao — ສະບາຍດີປີໃຫມ່ (sabai di pi mai)(sa bai di pi haim)
Mongolian — шинэ оны мэнд (shine ony mend)
Okinawan — 良い正月でーびーる。(ii soogwachi deebiiru) — used before New Year
Samoan — Ia manuia le Tausaga Fou
Tagalog — Manigong bagong taon, Maligayang bagong Taon
Thai — สวัสดีปีใหม่ (sà-wàt-dee bpee mài) (S̄wạs̄dī pī h̄ım̀)
Tibetan — ༄༅།།ལོ་གསར་ལ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས་ཞུ། (Losar La Tashi Delek)
Uyghur — يېڭى يىلىڭىز قۇتلۇق بولسۇن! (Yengı yilıngız qutluq bolsun!)
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (chook-moong-numb-moi): “Happy New Year”
This is the easiest and most commonly used greeting during Tết.
An khang thịnh vượng (ang khang tinh vuoung): “Security, good health, and prosperity” This phrase is usually added onto Chúc Mừng Năm Mới
Sức khỏe dồi dào (suok kwea yoi yao): “Plenty of health”
Vạn sự như ý (vant-su-nhu-ee) “May all your wishes go according to your will”
