How to say ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ in Chinese and Mandarin (it’s not ‘gong hei fat choy’)
How to say ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ in Chinese and Mandarin (it’s not ‘gong hei fat choy’)
Share:
Want to say Happy Chinese New Year in Chinese and Mandarin today? It’s not gong hei fat choy, so here’s how to give it a go. Chinese New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29 and this year is the Year of the Wood Snake. Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, celebrates the beginning of a new year according to the traditional Chinese calendar – and celebrations will last just over two weeks, until the full moon.
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. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.
![[woman holding a Chinese new year red envelop with candy box full of traditional Chinese snack on the background]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-1803607925.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Up Next. 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.
