13 Chinese New Year Greetings in Cantonese with Audio

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and instead of only saying the same phrase 恭喜發財 gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4 like every other year, we’re here to help you equip yourself with a variety of CNY blessings. Before digging into this content, let’s take a look at a cheeky short clip from Stephen Chow’s movie 逃學威龍3之龍過雞年 Fight Back to School III (1998) – where he uses a few CNY blessings while giving out red envelopes (🧧 派利是 paai3 lei6 si6) to some of his employees.

8 Classic Blessings

恭喜發財 gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4 = (congrats expending fortune) Wishing you prosperity and wealth! 

新年快樂 san1 lin4 faai3 lok6 = (new year happy) Happy New Year!

身體健康 san1 tai2 gin6 hong1 = (body health) Wishing you health!

大吉大利 daai6 gat1 daai6 lei6 = (great luck great profit) Great fortune and great favor!

心想事成 sam1 soeng2 si6 sing4 = (heart want matter happen) May all your wishes (heart’s desires) come true!

萬事如意 maan6 si6 jyu4 ji3 = (thousands matter goes well) May everything go as you hope!

年年有餘 lin4 lin4 jau5 jyu4 = (every year has a surplus) May there be surplus year after year!

As the word surplus 餘 jyu4 shares the same pronunciation as the word fish 魚 jyu4 in Cantonese, it’s a must for us to serve fish on CNY’s eve.

龍馬精神 lung4 maa5 zing1 san4 = (dragon horse spirit) Wishing you boundless energy!

步步高升 bou6 bou6 gou1 sing1 = (step by step rise high) Wishing you a promotion with every step you take!

2 Blessings for Kids

學業進步 hok6 jip6 zeon3 bou6 = (academic progress) May you excel at your studies!

快高長大 faai3 gou1 zoeng2 daai6 = (fast tall grow big) [said to young children] May you grow up fast to be strong and healthy!

2 Blessings for Business People

生意興隆 saang1 ji3 hing1 lung4 = (business prosperous) May your business prosper and flourish!

財源廣進 coi4 jyun4 gwong2 zeon3 = (money sources widen come) May wealth come generously to you!

Blessings with the year of Chinese Zodiac

Lastly, we have one blessing that needs to be switched every year according to the specific Chinese Zodiac Sign of that year.

___ 年行大運 ___ lin4 hang6 daai6 wan6 = Wish you good luck in the year of the ____!

E.g. 🐯 虎年行大運 fu2 lin4 hang6 daai6 wan6 = Wish you good luck in the year of the tiger!

12 生肖 sang1 ciu3 = 12 Chinese zodiac signs

🐁 鼠 syu2 = Rat (The year of 2020,2032,2044)

🐂 牛 ngau4 = ox (The year of 2021,2033,2045)

🐯 虎 fu2 = tiger (The year of 2022,2034,2046)

🐰 兔 tou3 = rabbit (The year of 2023,2035,2047)

🐲 龍 lung4 = dragon (The year of 2024,2036,2048)

🐍 蛇 se4 = snake (The year of 2025,2037,2049)

🐎 馬 maa5 = horse (The year of 2026,2038,2050)

🐐 羊 joeng4 = goat (The year of 2027,2039,2051)

🐒 猴 hau4 = monkey (The year of 2028,2040,2052)

🐓 雞 gai1 = rooster (The year of 2029,2041,2053)

🐕 狗 gau2 = dog (The year of 2030,2042,2054)

🐷 豬 zyu1 = pig (The year of 2031,2043,2055)