Chinese new year greetings: Essential & Popular Greetings
Get Full LessonPractice pronunciation and master this lesson with smart-repetition via the PrettyFluent App
Key Phrases
新年快乐！
xīn nián kuài lè
Happy New Year!
恭喜发财！
gōng xǐ fā cái
Wishing you prosperity!
红包拿来！
hóng bāo ná lái
Give me a red envelope!
Skills You'll Learn
Use common Spring Festival greetings in conversation
在对话中使用常见的春节祝福语
zài duì huà zhōng shǐ yòng cháng jiàn de chūn jié zhù fú yǔ
Make polite wishes using the pattern “I wish you…”
用“祝你……”的句型表达祝福
yòng zhù nǐ de jù xíng biǎo dá zhù fú
Respond naturally to greetings and congratulations (e.g., “Thank you”, “Same to you”)
用自然的方式回应祝福与恭贺（如“谢谢”“同喜同喜”）
yòng zì rán de fāng shì huí yìng zhù fú yǔ gōng hè
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you’re visiting a Chinese friend’s home during Spring Festival. You exchange New Year greetings, offer lucky wishes, jokingly ask for a red envelope, receive one, and then chat about traditional foods like dumplings while wishing prosperity, health, and family happiness.
新年好！过年好！
xīn nián hǎo guò nián hǎo
Happy New Year! Happy Spring Festival!
新年好！欢迎你来我们家！
xīn nián hǎo huān yíng nǐ lái wǒ men jiā
Happy New Year! Welcome to our home!
祝你新年快乐！
zhù nǐ xīn nián kuài lè
Wishing you a happy New Year!
谢谢！也祝你身体健康，万事如意！
xiè xiè yě zhù nǐ shēn tǐ jiàn kāng wàn shì rú yì
Thank you! Wishing you good health and that everything goes your way!
恭喜发财，红包拿来！
gōng xǐ fā cái hóng bāo ná lái
Wishing you prosperity—now hand over the red envelope!
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
新年
xīn nián
New Year
💬 [新年] means “New Year.” In greetings you’ll often hear [过年] (celebrate the New Year) and [拜年] (pay a New Year visit).
🇨🇳 In China, [新年] often refers to the Lunar New Year context during this season, with family reunions and holiday travel.
See breakdown →好！
hǎo
Hello!/Good!
💬 [好] is super flexible: “good,” “OK,” or a quick greeting. Tone matters—say it upbeat for friendly energy (how!).
🇨🇳 If someone greets you with a longer phrase, replying with just [好！] may feel too short; adding [谢谢] or repeating their greeting sounds more polite.
See breakdown →新年好！
xīn nián hǎo
Happy New Year!
💬 This is a simple “holiday + [好]” pattern. [新年好！] feels friendly and easy to remember (sshin-nyen how!).
🇨🇳 Common when visiting neighbors/relatives or greeting shopkeepers around the holiday—short, warm, and safe for most situations.
See breakdown →过年
guò nián
Celebrate the New Year
💬 [过] here means “to spend/experience,” so [过年] is “to spend the New Year holiday” (gwoh-nyen).
🇨🇳 [过年] often implies the whole festive period: family reunion, big meal, visiting relatives, and holiday vibes—not just one day.
See breakdown →过年好！
guò nián hǎo
Happy Spring Festival!
💬 Literally “New Year celebration good!” It’s a festive greeting that feels more “holiday-season” than [新年好！] (gwoh-nyen how!).
🇨🇳 People say this when they run into each other during the New Year period, especially while visiting or traveling home.
See breakdown →欢迎
huān yíng
Welcome
💬 [欢迎] is “welcome.” You can add who/where after it, like [欢迎你来我们家] (hwan-ying).
🇨🇳 Hosting is a big part of New Year visiting. Saying [欢迎] shows warmth and good manners when guests arrive.
See breakdown →你
nǐ
You
💬 [你] is casual “you.” For elders, clients, or teachers, upgrade to [您] to sound polite and festive.
🇨🇳 Chinese New Year greetings are big on respect—word choice like [您] helps match the occasion.
See breakdown →来
lái
Come
💬 [来] means “come.” It’s also used invitingly: [来来来] means “Come on / this way!”
🇨🇳 Hosts may say [来] while ushering you in, offering snacks, or guiding you to sit—expect lots of enthusiastic [来].
See breakdown →我们家
wǒ men jiā
Our home
💬 [我们家] literally “our family/home.” It often means “my place” when speaking casually.
🇨🇳 Inviting someone to [我们家] during New Year is a friendly, relationship-building gesture—visiting is part of holiday etiquette.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
Get PrettyFluent for smart practice & lasting retention
More from "Chinese new year greetings"
Similar Simplified Chinese Lessons
Presenting simple gifts
Meeting the in laws again
Health and well-being
Meeting the in laws again
Family updates and events
Meeting the in laws again
Suggest moving to a quieter spot in the bar to continue talking.
Flirting at the bar Part 2
Offer a genuine compliments about their style.
Flirting at the bar
Buy them a drink after asking for their permission.
Flirting at the bar
Get the Full Learning Experience
This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.
Pronunciation Feedback
AI-powered speech recognition to perfect your accent
Spaced Repetition
Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice
Immersive Roleplaying
Practice real conversations with AI partners
Custom Scenarios
Request lessons tailored to your specific needs
Get Full LessonWhat Learners Are Saying
“Shanghai business dinners require real Mandarin skills. This app’s scenario-based approach meant I could keep up with clients after just a month of practice.”
Ryan M., 36, Consultant
“Spent three months in Taiwan and this app was my lifeline. The tonal practice with real scenarios helped me sound less like a textbook and more like a person.”
Laura H., 28, Photographer
“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”
Alex M., 42, Software Engineer