Celebrations & good wishes
How to say Happy new year in Chinese
新年快乐
xīnnián kuàilè
Literally: new · year · happy
新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè) is “happy new year,” and it works for both January 1 and Lunar New Year. For the Spring Festival specifically, pair it with the wealth-wish 恭喜发财.
Other ways to say it
- 恭喜发财
gōngxǐ fācái
wishing you prosperity
The signature Lunar New Year greeting — “may you get rich.” Kids follow it with 红包拿来 (“hand over the red packet”).
- 春节快乐
chūnjié kuàilè
happy Spring Festival
Specifically for Lunar New Year (春节), rather than January 1.
- 新年好
xīnnián hǎo
happy new year (simple)
A shorter, cheerful “happy new year,” easy to say to anyone.
In a sentence
新年快乐！恭喜发财！
Xīnnián kuàilè! Gōngxǐ fācái!
Happy New Year! Wishing you prosperity!
How do you say "Happy new year" in Chinese?
To say “happy new year” in Chinese, say 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè). For Lunar New Year, add 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ fācái), “wishing you prosperity.”
Related phrases
All phrases →Learn to say a whole lot more
Build the vocabulary behind phrases like 新年快乐 with spaced repetition on FSRS, and hear every word in premium Mandarin audio.