新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè, Happy New Year) is only the beginning. During the Spring Festival, families trade short four-character wishes, and children are expected to have a few ready when they visit relatives. This worksheet practices twelve of the most common: 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái, wishing you prosperity), 万事如意 (wàn shì rú yì, may everything go your way), 身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng, good health, the one for grandparents), 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú, plenty every year, a pun on 鱼 yú, fish), 学习进步 (xué xí jìn bù, doing well at school) and the Goat-year wish 羊年大吉 (yáng nián dà jí). Most are four characters long, so each row fits neatly into 田字格 (tián zì gé) tracing grids with pinyin above. Trace each greeting, write it from memory, then say it out loud to someone. Print the sheet free or save the PDF, and turn your neatest row into a New Year card.
17 Chinese New Year greetings and when to say them
Chinese New Year greetings with pinyin, meaning and use| Greeting | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning | When to say it |
|---|
| 新年快乐 | 新年快樂 | xīn nián kuài lè | Happy New Year! | The all-purpose greeting, for anyone, from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. |
| 春节快乐 | 春節快樂 | chūn jié kuài lè | Happy Spring Festival! | Same as 新年快乐 but names the Lunar New Year specifically. |
| 过年好 | 過年好 | guò nián hǎo | Happy New Year! (casual) | The everyday greeting in northern China when you meet people during the holiday. |
| 恭喜发财 | 恭喜發財 | gōng xǐ fā cái | Wishing you wealth and success! | The classic New Year wish (Cantonese: gung hei fat choy). Children often joke back 红包拿来, 'hand over the red envelope!'. |
| 万事如意 | 萬事如意 | wàn shì rú yì | May everything go as you wish. | A polite wish for anyone, often written on cards. |
| 身体健康 | 身體健康 | shēn tǐ jiàn kāng | Wishing you good health. | The wish to give grandparents and older relatives. |
| 心想事成 | 心想事成 | xīn xiǎng shì chéng | May your wishes come true. | A warm wish for friends and family. |
| 年年有余 | 年年有餘 | nián nián yǒu yú | May you have more than enough every year. | 余 (surplus) sounds like 鱼 (fish), which is why fish is served at the New Year's Eve dinner. |
| 岁岁平安 | 歲歲平安 | suì suì píng ān | Peace and safety year after year. | Also said if something breaks during the holiday: 岁 sounds like 碎, 'to shatter'. |
| 大吉大利 | 大吉大利 | dà jí dà lì | Great luck and great fortune! | A cheerful wish, also printed on decorations. |
| 吉祥如意 | 吉祥如意 | jí xiáng rú yì | Good luck and all your wishes fulfilled. | A formal wish common on cards and scrolls. |
| 学习进步 | 學習進步 | xué xí jìn bù | Keep doing better at school! | What adults wish children, often while handing over a red envelope. |
| 步步高升 | 步步高昇 | bù bù gāo shēng | Rise higher step by step. | A wish for success at work. |
| 阖家欢乐 | 闔家歡樂 | hé jiā huān lè | Happiness to your whole family. | A wish for a whole household, common on cards. |
| 三羊开泰 | 三羊開泰 | sān yáng kāi tài | A Goat-year blessing for a good start. | A pun on the old saying 三阳开泰 ('three yang lines bring peace'), written with 羊 in Goat years. |
| 喜气洋洋 | 喜氣洋洋 | xǐ qì yáng yáng | Full of joy and festive cheer. | 洋 contains 羊 and sounds the same, so it is a favorite Goat-year phrase. |
| 羊年大吉 | 羊年大吉 | yáng nián dà jí | Great luck in the Year of the Goat! | The Goat-year version of 大吉大利; swap in the year's animal each year. |
More Chinese New Year worksheets
- Chinese New Year worksheets: Lunar New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, and opens the Year of the Goat, 羊年 (yáng nián), also called the Year of the Sheep or Ram. Free printable sheets for every age, with pinyin and English.
- New Year for Kindergarten: Eighteen big, simple characters for preschool and kindergarten, from 年 (nián), 春 (chūn) and 福 (fú) to 人 (rén), 山 (shān) and 水 (shuǐ). 年 春 福 红
- Year of the Goat: 2027 is the Year of the Goat, 羊年 (yáng nián), starting on Saturday, February 6; 羊 (yáng) also covers sheep and rams. 羊 羊年 山羊 绵羊
- Zodiac Animals: Write 生肖 (shēng xiào) and all twelve zodiac animals in order, from the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), to the Pig, 猪 (zhū). 生肖 鼠 牛 虎
- Fu Character & Spring Couplets: Write 福 (fú) and the parts of a spring couplet, then copy a traditional door couplet line by line. 福 春联 对联 上联
- Chinese New Year Words: Twenty Spring Festival words: the reunion dinner, red envelopes, lanterns, firecrackers and New Year food. 春节 新年 除夕 年夜饭
- Lantern Festival: Words for 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié), the night of lanterns: 汤圆 (tāng yuán), 花灯 (huā dēng), 灯谜 (dēng mí) riddles and the first full moon of the year. 元宵节 元宵 汤圆 正月十五
- Yuan Ri (元日): Copy Wang Anshi's 元日 (yuán rì), the classic Chinese New Year poem, line by line with pinyin. 爆竹声中一岁除 春风送暖入屠苏 千门万户曈曈日 总把新桃换旧符
Frequently asked questions
What does 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) mean?
恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) means 'congratulations and be prosperous', the classic wish for wealth in the new year. In Cantonese it is gung hei fat choy. Children often answer it with a joke, 红包拿来 (hóng bāo ná lái): hand over the red envelope!
How do you say Happy New Year in Mandarin?
新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) is Happy New Year, for anyone. During the Spring Festival you can also say 春节快乐 (chūn jié kuài lè), Happy Spring Festival, or the casual northern greeting 过年好 (guò nián hǎo) when you meet friends and neighbors.
What should children say to grandparents at New Year?
身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng), wishing good health, is the one for grandparents and older relatives, often with 万事如意 (wàn shì rú yì), may everything go your way. Grandparents usually answer with 学习进步 (xué xí jìn bù) and a red envelope.
Is gong xi fa cai Mandarin or Cantonese?
Gong xi fa cai is Mandarin: 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) in pinyin. Gung hei fat choy is the Cantonese way to say the same four characters, common in Hong Kong, Guangdong and many overseas communities. Both wish you prosperity.
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The Chinese New Year greetings worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed, and you can print as many copies as you like for a class. Choose A4 or US Letter before you press Print or Save PDF.