7 Common Chinese Phrases to Express Good Wishes in Mandarin
| Learn Chinese
Courtesy plays an important role in Chinese culture. Chinese people express wishes to their friends and relatives during the New Year holiday. Meanwhile they also do that on different festival-related occasions. As many foreigners are interested in learning how to say phrases like “Happy New Year” in Chinese, here is your opportunity to learn some common Chinese phrases for expressing wishes.
Common Chinese Phrases to Express Wishes
Name of the festival + 快乐 (kuàilè)
“快乐” (kuàilè) means “joyful”, and this is one of the key phrases you need to learn how to express wishes. You can apply it to wishes like “Happy New Year!”, “Merry Christmas!”, etc.
Examples:
新年快乐！
Xīn Nián kuàilè!
Happy New Year!
圣诞快乐！
Shèngdàn kuàilè!
Merry Christmas!
国庆节快乐！
Guóqìng jié kuàilè!
Happy National Day!
生日快乐！
Shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy birthday!
Common Chinese Phrases to Express New Year Wishes
The Chinese New Year (春节 Chūnjié) is one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture and people often exchange good wishes with family and friends during this time. Here are some common Chinese phrases to express New Year wishes:
新年快乐
Xīn Nián kuàilè
Happy New Year
恭喜发财
Gōng xǐ fā cái
Wishing you wealth and prosperity
万事如意
Wàn shì rú yì
May everything go as you wish
身体健康
Shēn tǐ jiàn kāng
Wishing you good health
岁岁平安
Suì suì píng ān
Wishing you peace and safety every year
新春愉快
Xīn chūn yú kuài
Happy Spring Festival
大吉大利
Dà jí dà lì
Wishing you great fortune and success
01 New Year Wishes
There are different wishes available when it comes to the Spring Festival which is also known as the Chinese New Year Health and wealth are considered important elements in Chinese people’s lives Therefore in addition to phrases like “新年快乐” (Xīn Nián kuàilè) (Happy New Year) new year wishes in China are more or less related to health and wealth here are some Chinese phrases that you can learn in order to express new year wishes:
祝你身体健康!
Zhù nǐ shēntǐ jiànkāng!
Wish you health!
In this Chinese phrase, “祝” (zhù) means “to wish”, “身体” (shēntǐ) means “body” and “健康” (jiànkāng) means “healthy”. Therefore, it literally means “Wish you a healthy body”. This one of the most popular Chinese phrases which are often used when you would like to express new year wishes to old people.
万事如意
Wàn shì rúyì!
Hope everything goes your way.
In China, people often use “auspicious” Chinese phrases like this to express new year wishes to their friends. “万事” (wàn shì) means “thousands of things”, and “如意” (rúyì) means “as one wishes”. Hence, the literal meaning of this Chinese phrase is “Thousands of things will be in your favor”.
2. Wishing Good Fortune
恭喜发财!
Gōngxǐ fācái!
Wish you great fortune!
In this Chinese phrase, “恭喜” (gōngxǐ) means “to congratulate”, and “发财” (fācái) means “to get rich”. The literal meaning of this Chinese phrase is “congratulations on getting rich”. This is one of the most popular Chinese phrases that Chinese businessmen often use to express new year wishes to their clients or business partners.
FAQ
01. What are the common phrases for wishing someone good health in Chinese?
The most common phrase for wishing someone good health is “身体健康” (shēntǐ jiànkāng) which means “good health”. Another popular phrase is “保重身体” (bǎo zhòng shēntǐ) meaning “take care of your health”.
02. How do I wish someone a happy birthday in Chinese?
To wish someone a happy birthday in Chinese you can say “生日快乐” (shēngrì kuàilè) which means “Happy Birthday”. This is the most common and widely used phrase for birthday greetings in Chinese-speaking regions.
03. How can I express my wishes for good luck in Chinese?
To wish someone good luck you can use the phrase “好运” (hǎo yùn) which literally means “good luck”. Another phrase is “祝你好运” (zhù nǐ hǎo yùn) meaning “I wish you good luck”.
04. What Chinese phrases can I use to express prosperity or success?
For wishing someone prosperity or success you can say “恭喜发财” (gōngxǐ fācái) meaning “Congratulations and may you make a fortune”. Commonly used during the Chinese New Year another phrase is “事业有成” (shìyè yǒu chéng) meaning “may your career be successful”.
05. How do I wish someone happiness in Chinese?
To wish someone happiness you can use the phrase “幸福” (xìngfú) meaning “happiness”. The full phrase “祝你幸福” (zhù nǐ xìngfú) means “I wish you happiness”.
06. What is the Chinese phrase for wishing someone a long life?
The common phrase for wishing someone a long life is “长命百岁” (cháng mìng bǎi suì) which translates to “may you live a long life”. This phrase is often used to celebrate someone’s longevity especially in more traditional contexts.
07. How do I wish someone well during the Chinese New Year?
During the Chinese New Year a common phrase to wish someone well is “新年快乐” (xīnnián kuàilè) which means “Happy New Year”. You can also use “春节快乐” (chūnjié kuàilè) meaning “Happy Spring Festival” to celebrate the occasion.
We hope you’ve learned a little bit more about China. To find out more useful Chinese phrases about China and Chinese culture, check out one of our blog posts 5 Interesting Facts About Time in China
