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1 year ago
Chinese new year greetings
The Chinese new year greetings:
新年快樂 Xin Nian Kuai Le, 恭禧發財 Gong Xi Fa Cai.新年快樂 - Xin Nian (新年) is New Year. Xin is new and Nian is year. Kuai le (快樂) is happiness, joy, delight, or rejoicings. So “Happy New Year” in English is “New Year Happy” in Chinese: Xin Nian Kuai Le.
恭禧發財 - Gong Xi Fa Cai - (Mandarin) or Kung Hei Fat Choi - (Cantonese). Even though the pronunciations are a little different, both are written the same way.
The literal translation of “Gong Xi” is (to wish) and “Fa” (enlarge) “Cai” (wealth) means “make money/to prosper”. So “Gong Xi Fa Cai” means “I wish that you will be prosperous”, but the phrase is generally used as Happy New Year.
When people greet you with Gong Xi Fa Cai during the Chinese New Year, what do you say?
Simply respond with the same phrase they used.
Or, to a close friend or colleague you can say, “Hong Bao Na Lai,”(紅包拿來) which is “May I have the red envelope, please!”
Hong Bao (紅包) is a red envelope. Na Lei (拿來) means “Bring it to me.”
So here’s your Chinese lesson of the day:Person A: Gong Xi Fa Cai. May you become rich!
Person B: Hong Bao Na Lei. Red envelope, please. Let me start to become rich by getting money from you.
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恭禧發財 - Gong Xi Fa Cai
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