Advanced Chinese New Year greetings
Chinese New Year is a time loaded with reunions between families, friends, and loved ones. And with all these gatherings taking place, there comes a slew of the very-much-dreaded messy CNY greetings, especially for Malaysian bananas who may have been getting by with the basic Gong Xi Fa Cai for years now.
If you’re looking to make an impression this year, refer to this list of 15 non-overused Chinese New Year greetings that may possibly earn you a heftier angpau.
Table of Contents
– Greetings to families and friends –
1. 龙马精神 (lóng mǎ jīng shén)
Translation: May you have the strength and vitality of dragons and horses
Starting off with one that’s apt for the Year of the Dragon, this greeting is specifically a Chinese idiom that actually translates to “the spirit or vigour of a dragon and horse”. It’s a good one to use amongst adults as it symbolises the vitality and energy of these wondrous beasts – definitely something that all of us working adults need.
2. 合家欢乐 (hé jiā huān lè)
Translation: Wishing you and your family lots of happiness and a great year ahead
This one’s a sweet and simple one that still sounds far more sincere than the go-to Xin Nian Kuai Le.
Fortune and wealth may be heavily emphasised during the bai nian season, but these don’t necessarily always bring happiness. So wish your loved ones a long-lasting happiness instead with a meaningful phrase like this one.
3. 心想事成 (xīn xiǎng shì chéng)
Translation: May all your wishes and dreams come true
The heart has many desires – be it for boundless wealth, luck in finding a soulmate, or a smooth-sailing career. Whatever it may be, recite this greeting to your family and friends, and watch as their faces glow with happiness.
4. 财运亨通 (cái yùn hēng tōng)
Translation: May good fortune find you this year
Signifying that the road to wealth and prosperity is wide open, this Chinese New Year greeting wishes for one to have an abundance of luck when it comes to fortune and richness.
In other words: lots of ong and huat in one’s life.
5. 金玉满堂 (jīn yù mǎn táng)
Translation: May you and your family have an abundance of wealth
You’ll want to have this one up your sleeves to earn an extra red packet or two. Spew this money-related phrase that literally translates to ‘a hall piling with jade and gold’, which wishes for money and wealth to enter one’s home.
6. 一帆风顺 (yī fān fēng shùn)
Translation: May everything go smoothly in your life
This Chinese idiom wishes for one to have a smooth-sailing journey and continuous success with everything that they do. It is a fitting one for that one uncle who just started his own business, or that niece who just entered her first year of university.
– For one’s career or business –
7. 大展宏图 (dà zhǎn hóng tù)
Translation: Wishing for your business to flourish
Kowtow your bosses with this phrase that wishes for one’s grand vision to prosper or for their business to thrive.
Taken from the Chinese idiom “鸿图大展”, which means “to carry out a great plan”, this Chinese New Year greeting is especially suitable for business owners or associates for the best of luck in their pursuits.
8. 步步高升 (bù bù gāo shēng)
Translation: To rise continually, in context of promotion in one’s career
Roughly translating to “climbing step by step”, this phrase often relates to progression and promotion in one’s career – perfect for that friend or relative who just started their first or a new job.
9. 大吉大利 (dà jí dà lì)
Translation: Good fortune, great profit
You can bet that anything moolah-related will be extremely well-received within Chinese culture – this CNY greeting in particular will have your loved ones beaming with pleasure. It essentially means good luck in one’s prosperity, and after all, the idea of more money rolling in is always a great one.
10. 蒸蒸日上 (zhēng zhēng rì shàng)
Translation: May your business grow and expand with each day
This phrase is to wish those who own their own business the very best in generating more income and to becoming more prosperous with each passing day.
11. 招财进宝 (zhāo cái jìn bǎo)
Translation: Ushering in lots of wealth and prosperity
Clearly, you don’t have to worry about running out of CNY greetings when it comes to wishing the best for one’s business or career. Visualising bounties of cash and wealth, this greeting is a suitable one for any working adult.
– For one’s love life or marriage –
Image credit: @fssingapore via Instagram Chinese New Year greetings
12. 心心相印 (xīn xīn xiāng yìn) Chinese New Year greetings
Translation: To be closely attached and emotionally connected to each other
Gorgeous and romantic in every sense of the phrase itself, this idiom literally translates to “two hearts beating as one”, an epitome of deep emotional connection in a relationship. When used as a CNY greeting, it signifies well-wishes for romantic partners to be in sync with each other when it comes to the heart and emotions.
13. 月圆花好 (yuè yuán huā hǎo)
Translation: Wishing couples perfect happiness and blissful harmony
“Full moon, lovely flowers” – think an idyllic backdrop in a scene of a romance drama where everything is lovely, enchanting and blissful. While this phrase is usually used during the Mid Autumn celebrations, it is also apt as blessings towards couples or newlyweds during the Chinese New Year.
14. 永结同心 (yǒng jié tóng xīn)
Translation: Wishing newlyweds to stay together forever, and to be always devoted to each other
For your cousin who’s fresh in a new relationship or a colleague who just got married, greet them with a sweet CNY phrase like this one. Translating to “hearts united forever”, it wishes for a couple to be committed and devoted to each other for a long, long time.
15. 百年好合 (bǎi nián hǎo hé)
Translation: A happy and harmonious marriage for a hundred years or a lifetime
“百年” means “a hundred years” – way to put the pressure on people. But this phrase is essentially to wish a lifetime of happy marriage – while also indirectly wishing them a long life as well. Efficient.
Chinese New Year greetings for Malaysians
It isn’t every day that you’ll have the chance to relay heartfelt wishes that are as meaningful as they are sincere to your loved ones. This Chinese New Year, take some time to memorise a few – or all – from this list, so that you’ll have some good ones to recite off the top of your head.
It’ll be worth it, especially if you get some extra ringgits or cookies shoved into your hands.
You can refer to this cheat sheet too:
For more CNY articles, here’s 10 unique Chinese New Year recipes to whip up and 8 chinese restaurants with CNY reunion dinner deliveries in Klang Valley.
Cover image adapted from: The Smart Local Malaysia