At Chinese Lunar New Year, good wishes and auspicious greetings abound across China. Many of these festive phrases have been passed down for centuries, as a way of wishing family and friends good luck for the year ahead.
As we approach the start of the Year of the Ox, the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations are getting underway – and that means brushing up on celebratory idioms and expressions that are commonly used during this festive time of the year. Here are some to get you started:
xīn nián kuài lè, wàn shì rú yì
新年快乐，万事如意
Why stop at just wishing someone a Happy New Year? You could express your hope that all things will go smoothly for the recipient of your greeting. "Happy New Year, and may everything go your way!" This is one of the most common Chinese Lunar New Year wishes, and one of the most ubiquitous – it can be expressed to young and old alike, to both close relatives and distant acquaintances.
gōng xǐ fā cái
恭喜发财
It's not really Chinese Lunar New Year until you hear this phrase: "Wishing you prosperity and fortune." Earning a healthy income to support one's family is a need we all share, and this greeting expresses your wish that money will flow toward the recipient of your greeting. Around China and across the Chinese diaspora, this is another one of the most widely heard New Year salutes.
It's customary for adults to give children red envelopes containing money at Chinese Lunar New Year. /CFP
chūn jié kuài lè
春节快乐
Chinese Lunar New Year is often referred to in Chinese as "Spring Festival," so it makes sense that another common greeting is "Happy Spring Festival!" This expresses the wish that the holiday season will be a joyful one.
xīn xiǎng shì chéng
心想事成
This Chinese Lunar New Year, let your family and friends know you want all their dreams to come true. Translated as "May your wishes come true," this expresses the hope that the year ahead will be brimming with fulfilled dreams.
nián nián yǒu yú
年年有余
Every year, we hope there will be a surplus left over for the year ahead – whether of food, happiness, or opportunities. This saying means "surplus year after year," and expresses the wish for an abundance (of good things). It also explains why fish is an essential dish on any Chinese Lunar New Year dinner table. The Chinese character for fish (鱼) sounds just like the character for "surplus". It's customary to leave part of the dish unfinished – or to prepare two fish and save one for the next day; the leftovers represent a "surplus" for the year ahead!
No Chinese Lunar New Year dinner table is complete without an impressive fish dish. /CFP
yì fān fēng shùn
一帆风顺
"Smooth sailing" – what more can we hope for in the ebbs and flows of life? At Chinese Lunar New Year, wish your loved ones a smooth journey for the year ahead, with the wind in their sails!
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(Cover image: Many lucky sayings and auspicious greetings have been passed down for centuries, as a way of wishing family and friends good luck for the year ahead. /CFP)