How to say ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ in Chinese and Mandarin (it’s not ‘gong hei fat choy’)

The celebrations for Chinese New Year are about to begin, and if you want to join in with the festivities, wishing your loved ones a ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ is a good place to start.

Want to offer the words in Chinese and Mandarin? Here’s how to give it a go — and no, it’s not ‘gong hei fat choy’.

Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday, February 17 and this year is the Year of the Horse. 

Also referred to as the Spring Festival, it celebrates the beginning of a new year according to the traditional Chinese calendar – and celebrations will last just over two weeks.

There are multiple ways you can wish friends, family, colleagues or people you meet a Happy Chinese New Year.

But as with many languages, which greeting you use will depend on who you are addressing – and how.

Here’s all you need to know.

How to say Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese and Mandarin

Journalist, blogger, podcaster and author Qin Xie previously explained for Metro: ‘Happy Chinese New Year is xin nian (new year) kuai le (happy) in Mandarin, and it’s pronounced shin nee-an kwai le (as in the French le).

‘You can also use a shorted version, which is xin nian (new year) hao (good), which is pronounced shin nee-an how. This is probably the one you’d want to say to your friends and family.’

Missed the exact day but still want to wish someone a Happy Chinese New Year? No problem.

The greeting guo (spend) nian (year) hao (good) — pronounced gor nee-an how – is one that can be used both on the day and shortly after.

To say Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese, Qin Xie also explained: ‘Chinese New Year is also known as chun jie, or spring festival, so you can also wish your friends a happy new year that way.

‘So instead of saying xin nian kuai le for example, you would say chun jie (spring festival) kuai le (happy), which is roughly pronounced chwen jee-eh kwai le.

‘And similarly, xin nian hao can become chun jie hao – pronounced chwen jee-eh how.’

And just like that, you’re now set to wish your friends and families a Happy Chinese New Year!

What does ‘gong hei fat choy’ mean?

Saying ‘gong hei fat choy’ is not the same as saying ‘Happy Chinese New Year’.

Although the greeting is frequently offered at this time of the year, it actually delivers a wish for prosperity — you’re bestowing the wish that your recipient becomes wealthy in the year ahead.

It’s very appropriate for those in business so it’s more frequently used when greeting your work colleagues or business partners during Chinese New Year.

‘Gong hei fat choy’ is the Cantonese way of saying the phrase and, in Mandarin Chinese, it’s ‘gong xi fa cai’ (pronounced gong she fa tsai).

FYI, it’s not a hard and fast rule but Cantonese is generally spoken in Guangdong (formerly known as Canton) and surrounding areas, as well as Hong Kong.

However, elsewhere in mainland China and Taiwan, Mandarin Chinese is generally spoken.

Spring festival

Chinese New Year is also known as ‘chun jie’, or spring festival, so you can also wish your friends a happy new year that way.

So instead of saying ‘xin nian kuai le’ for example, you would say ‘chun jie’ (spring festival) ‘kuai le’ (happy), which is roughly pronounced chwen jee-eh kwai le.

And similarly, ‘xin nian hao’ can become ‘chun jie hao’ – pronounced chwen jee-eh how.

‘Guo nian hao’ can also be replaced with ‘guo jie hao’, pronounced gor jee-eh hao. This one can also be used for other festivals.

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