A new year is coming. How many Chinese new year greetings in Cantonese do you know besides ‘Kung Hei Fat Choi’?
In this lesson, more than 20 greetings for Chinese New Year in Cantonese will be introduced.
Table of contents
Chinese New Year greetings in Cantonese: Happy New Year
Happy new year in Cantonese is 新年快樂 [san1 nin4 faai3 lok6], and it can be used in both New Year （新年）and Chinese New Year （農曆新年）.
san1 nin4 faai3 lok6！
新年快樂！
Happy new year!
Chinese New Year greetings in Cantonese: Kung Hei Fat Choi
How can you not say Kung Hei Fat Choi during Chinese New Year? Kung Hei Fat Choi is written as 恭喜發財 [gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4].
For the meaning of Kung Hei Fat Choi, 恭喜 [gung1 hei2] is a verb that means ‘to congratulate’, and 發財 [faat3 coi4] is a verb that means ‘to gain wealth’.
gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4！
恭喜發財！
May prosperity be with you!
Chinese New Year greetings in Cantonese: Other common greetings
Other than saying Happy New Year and Kung Hei Fat Choi, these greetings are also used in Chinese New Year.
daai6 gat1 daai6 lei6
大吉大利
May good fortune be with you.
faai3 gou1 zoeng2 daai6
快高長大
May you grow up fast and strong.
hok6 jip6 zeon3 bou6
學業進步
May you excel in your studies.
maan6 si6 jyu4 ji3
萬事如意
May everything go as you wish.
si6 si6 jyu4 ji3
事事如意
May everything go as you wish.
cing1 ceon1 soeng4 zyu3
青春常駐
May your young always be with you.
lung4 maa5 zing1 san4
龍馬精神
May you be as energetic as dragons and horses.
gaa1 fei4 nguk1 jeon6
家肥屋潤
May your home be filled with prosperity and wealth.
hap6 gaa1 ping4 ngon1
闔家平安
May your whole family be safe and sound.
san1 tai2 gin6 hong1
身體健康
May you be healthy.
sam1 soeng2 si6 sing4
心想事成
May all your wishes come true.
Using greetings in Cantonese in a sentence
You can specify who you want to bless by putting the above greetings into a sentence.
Nevertheless, 恭喜發財 [gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4] is usually not used a sentence, as the meaning of 恭喜 [gung1 hei2] and verb 祝 [zuk1] is almost identical.
zuk1 daai6 gaa1 hok6 jip6 zeon3 bou6
祝大家學業進步。
I wish you all excel in your studies .
| Type of sentence structure | Pivotal construction | |||
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate | Pivot | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Verb | Noun | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 祝 | 大家 | 學業進步 |
zuk1 nei5 sam1 soeng2 si6 sing4
祝你心想事成。
I wish all your wishes come true.
| Type of sentence structure | Pivotal construction | |||
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate | Pivot | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Verb | Noun | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 祝 | 你 | 心想事成 |
zuk1 nei5 san1 tai2 gin6 hong1
祝你身體健康。
I wish you be healthy.
| Type of sentence structure | Pivotal construction | |||
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate | Pivot | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Verb | Noun | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 祝 | 你 | 身體健康 |
zuk1 nei5 cing1 ceon1 soeng4 zyu3，sam1 soeng2 si6 sing4
祝你青春常駐，心想事成。
I wish your young always be with you and your wishes come true.
Composite sentences | ||
| Type of composite sentence | Compound sentences | |
| Components | Sentence 1 | Sentence 2 |
| True value | True | True |
| Words in sentence | 祝你青春常駐 | 心想事成 |
Sentence 1 of that sentence | ||||
| Type of sentence structure | Pivotal construction | |||
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate | Pivot | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Verb | Noun | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 祝 | 你 | 青春常駐 |
Sentence 2 of that sentence | ||
| Type of sentence structure | Subject-predicative | |
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 心想事成 |
zuk1 nei5 san1 nin4 faai3 lok6，gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4
祝你新年快樂，恭喜發財。
I wish you have a happy new year, and may prosperity be with you.
Composite sentences | ||
| Type of composite sentence | Compound sentences | |
| Components | Sentence 1 | Sentence 2 |
| True value | True | True |
| Words in sentence | 祝你新年快樂 | 恭喜發財 |
Sentence 1 of that sentence | ||||
| Type of sentence structure | Pivotal construction | |||
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate | Pivot | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Verb | Noun | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 祝 | 你 | 新年快樂 |
Sentence 2 of that sentence | ||
| Type of sentence structure | Subject-predicative | |
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 恭喜發財 |
zuk1 nei5 faai3 gou1 zoeng2 daai6，hok6 jip6 zeon3 bou6
祝你快高長大，學業進步。
I wish you grow up fast and strong, and excel in your studies
Composite sentences | ||
| Type of composite sentence | Compound sentences | |
| Components | Sentence 1 | Sentence 2 |
| True value | True | True |
| Words in sentence | 祝你快高長大 | 學業進步 |
Sentence 1 of that sentence | ||||
| Type of sentence structure | Pivotal construction | |||
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate | Pivot | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Verb | Noun | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 祝 | 你 | 快高長大 |
Sentence 2 of that sentence | ||
| Type of sentence structure | Subject-predicative | |
| Functions in sentence | Subject | Predicate |
| Part of speech | / | Noun |
| Words in sentence | / | 學業進步 |
Reference
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