What Do You Say to Someone for Chinese New Year?

traditional chinese new year greeting, what to say for chinese new year

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What do you say to someone who celebrates Chinese New Year?

There are two ways to say the traditional “Happy New Year” to someone depending upon if they speak Mandarin or Cantonese Chinese. However, they are both written the same way as “恭禧發財” and only the pronunciation is different.

  • In Mandarin you say: “Gong Xi Fa Cai”
  • In Cantonese you say: “Gong Hey Fat Choy”
  • For pronunciation help, click here.

    But what does “Gong Xi Fa Cai” or “Gong Hey Fat Choy” mean when literally translated?

    According to Urban Dictionary, it literally means “wishing you to enlarge your wealth.”

    So go tell someone “Gong Xi Fa Cai” or “Gong Hey Fat Choy” today!