Chinese New Year is just around the corner and the season for well-wishers is upon us. When I was little I had two go-to greetings – xīnnián kuàilè (新年快乐) which means “happy new year” and gōngxǐ fācái 恭喜发财 which means “I wish you prosperity”. That was ok back in the 90s for an Asian American kid. But nowadays the greetings have gotten a whole lot fancier and the rhyming game is at a whole different level.
As our writer Huang Chenkuang wrote before, there are different greetings for different people and situations.
General ones
- 牛年大吉 (niú nián dà jí) Good luck for the Year of the Ox!
- 万事如意 (wàn shì rú yì) May all go well with you!
- 心想事成 (xīn xiǎng shì chéng) May all your wishes come true!
- 一帆风顺 (yī fān fēng shun) Wish you every success!
- 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān) Wish you everlasting peace and safety for the years to come!
- 阖家幸福 (hé jiā xìng fú) Wish you a happy family!
To elders
- 健康长寿 (jiàn kāng cháng shòu) /福寿安康 (fú shòu ān kāng) May you have good health and longevity!
- 福如东海，寿比南山 (fú rú dōng hǎi, shòu bǐ nán shān) May your happiness be as immense as the Eastern Sea, and may you live as long as the Zhongnan Mountains!
To business people
- 生意兴隆 (shēng yì xìng long) Wish your business prospers!
- 财源广进 (cái yuán guǎng jìn) May a river of gold flow into your pockets!
To colleagues
- 工作顺利 (gōng zuò shùn lì) May everything go well with your work!
- 步步高升 (bù bù gāo sheng) Wish you frequent promotions!
- 事业有成 (shì yè yǒu chéng) Wish you a successful career!
To students
- 学习进步 (xué xí jìn bù) Wish you progress in your studies!
- 学业有成 (xué yè yǒu chéng) Wish you great achievement in your studies!
- 金榜题名 (jīn bǎng tí míng) Wish you success in the exam! (specifically for someone who has an important exam such as the Gaokao coming up)
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