Chinese new year greetings: Essential & Popular Greetings
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Key Phrases
新年快樂！
xīn nián kuài lè
Happy New Year!
恭喜發財！
gōng xǐ fā cái
Wishing you prosperity!
萬事如意！
wàn shì rú yì
May everything go your way.
Skills You'll Learn
Use common Lunar New Year greetings appropriately in conversation.
能在對話中正確使用常見的農曆新年祝賀語。
néng zài duì huà zhōng zhèng què shǐ yòng cháng jiàn de nóng lì xīn nián zhù hè yǔ
Ask and answer simple questions about meals and reunion dinner (e.g., 'Did you eat?').
能用簡單問句詢問並回答吃飯與年夜飯相關內容（例如：「吃飽了嗎？」）。
néng yòng jiǎn dān wèn jù xún wèn bìng huí dá chī fàn yǔ nián yè fàn xiāng guān nèi róng
Give polite well-wishes for health, work, peace, and family.
能用禮貌的方式表達健康、工作、平安與闔家祝福。
néng yòng lǐ mào de fāng shì biǎo dá jiàn kāng gōng zuò píng ān yǔ hé jiā zhù fú
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you’re exchanging Lunar New Year greetings with a Taiwanese friend, wishing each other prosperity, health, and family peace, then chatting briefly about the reunion dinner and inviting each other to visit.
Emily Smith ，新年快樂！
^FIRST^ ^LAST^ xīn nián kuài lè
Emily Smith, Happy New Year!
新年快樂！恭喜發財！
xīn nián kuài lè gōng xǐ fā cái
Happy New Year! Wishing you prosperity!
祝你身體健康，萬事如意！
zhù nǐ shēn tǐ jiàn kāng wàn shì rú yì
Wishing you good health and that everything goes your way!
謝謝你！也祝你平安喜樂。
xiè xiè nǐ yě zhù nǐ píng ān xǐ lè
Thank you! Wishing you peace and joy as well.
過年吃飽了嗎？有吃年夜飯嗎？
guò nián chī bǎo le ma yǒu chī nián yè fàn ma
Did you eat your fill for the New Year? Did you have a reunion dinner?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
新年
xīn nián
New Year
💬 [新] = “new,” [年] = “year.” Together [新年] can mean “New Year” in general; for Lunar New Year you’ll also hear [過年].
🇹🇼 In Taiwan, people often say [過年] to mean “celebrate Lunar New Year,” including visiting family and giving red envelopes.
See breakdown →快樂
kuài lè
Happy
💬 [快樂] is a common “happy/joyful.” It pairs nicely with holidays: [新年快樂] / [生日快樂].
🇹🇼 You’ll hear [快樂] in lots of set greetings—short, cheerful, and always safe to use.
See breakdown →新年快樂！
xīn nián kuài lè
Happy New Year!
💬 Add [！] for extra festive energy. You can also say [新年快樂] without punctuation in text messages.
🇹🇼 A universal greeting in Taiwan—works for friends, coworkers, and shop staff during the New Year period.
See breakdown →新年快樂
xīn nián kuài lè
Happy New Year
💬 Same phrase as above, just without the exclamation. Great for cards, captions, and polite messages.
🇹🇼 Often written on banners and gift tags during New Year sales and family gatherings.
See breakdown →Emily Smith ，新年快樂！
^FIRST^ ^LAST^ xīn nián kuài lè
Emily Smith, Happy New Year!
💬 In Chinese, people typically address others as [姓] + title (e.g., [王先生], [陳小姐]) rather than first name + last name.
🇹🇼 For polite New Year messages in Taiwan, using a title feels warmer and more natural than just a full Western-style name.
See breakdown →恭喜
gōng xǐ
Congratulations
💬 [恭喜] is “congrats,” but during New Year it often functions like a festive “best wishes!”
🇹🇼 You’ll hear [恭喜] a lot around Lunar New Year—people use it to share good vibes and luck.
See breakdown →發財
fā cái
To get rich / to make a fortune
💬 [發財] literally means “to generate wealth.” It’s a super common New Year wish.
🇹🇼 Money-related blessings are normal at Lunar New Year—linked to good fortune, business success, and红包 [紅包].
See breakdown →恭喜發財！
gōng xǐ fā cái
Wishing you prosperity!
💬 This is a classic set phrase; say it as one chunk: [恭喜發財]. Great for quick greetings.
🇹🇼 Very common in Taiwan, especially when greeting shop owners, coworkers, and elders—often followed by giving/receiving [紅包].
See breakdown →祝你
zhù nǐ
Wish you
💬 Use [祝你] before blessings: [祝你身體健康] (wish you good health), [祝你發大財] (wish you big wealth).
🇹🇼 During New Year, short blessings are exchanged rapidly—having [祝你] ready helps you improvise.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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