New Year greetings and their contexts
Common wishes
New Year greetings wish happiness, prosperity, health or fulfilment. Their meanings are not interchangeable. Gongxi facai, for example, wishes prosperity rather than literally saying “Happy New Year.” A greeting can be a brief exchange during a visit or part of a longer personal message.
| Greeting | Reading and language | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 新年快乐 | Xīnnián kuàilè, Mandarin | Happy New Year |
| 恭喜发财 | Gōngxǐ fācái, Mandarin | A wish for prosperity |
| 恭喜发财 | Kung hei fat choy, familiar Cantonese spelling | A wish for prosperity |
| 心想事成 | Xīn xiǎng shì chéng, Mandarin | May your wishes come true |
| 身体健康 | Shēntǐ jiànkāng, Mandarin | Good health |
| 万事如意 | Wànshì rúyì, Mandarin | May everything go as you wish |
Language choice
The written characters 恭喜发财 can be read differently in Mandarin and Cantonese. Gongxi facai and kung hei fat choy are different spoken readings of the same written expression. Mandarin pinyin and familiar English spellings of Cantonese follow different conventions, so their letters should not be read as though they belonged to one pronunciation system.
New Year visits also bring greetings in Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka and other languages. The language familiar to the person being greeted gives the exchange its local or family character. English good wishes can accompany the Chinese phrase without changing its purpose.
For a first visit, a straightforward New Year wish is enough. A health wish can give a family greeting a more personal emphasis, while a wish for success may suit someone's particular hopes.
Written and spoken greetings
Spoken greetings also appear on cards, red envelopes and messages sent to relatives and friends. In writing, a short conventional wish can be followed by a personal sentence addressed to the recipient. The greeting remains useful throughout the visiting season rather than being confined to the first moment of New Year's Day.
Greetings also become part of a decorated home. Hong Kong's fai chun (挥春) are red-paper inscriptions carrying auspicious words, displayed on doors or walls. A short blessing can stand alone, while spring couplets develop a wish through two corresponding lines. Red envelopes place written good wishes around a money gift. These forms give the seasonal exchange a lasting visible presence alongside the words spoken during a visit.