How to Say ‘Happy New Year!’ in Simplified Chinese
新年快乐！
xīn nián kuài lè
[sheen-nyen kwye-luh]
🇨🇳 In China: This is the safest, most universal New Year greeting in modern Chinese, good with friends, coworkers, neighbors, or strangers. It's less traditional-sounding than longer blessing phrases, but extremely common and always appropriate.
Phrase Breakdown
新年
xīn nián
[sheen-nyen]
New Year
Here 新年 sets the occasion (“New Year”). Combined with 快乐, it forms the standard greeting “Happy New Year!”
给老师拜年，我先说：新年快乐！
When paying a New Year visit to my teacher, I first say: Happy New Year!
快乐
kuài lè
[kwye-luh]
happy; joyful
快乐 describes the wish you’re giving: that the other person will be happy during the New Year.
见到朋友我就说新年快乐！
When I see my friends, I say: Happy New Year!
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