Happy Chinese New Year! Today (February 16) marks the first day of the Year of the Dog.
By now, you’ve probably looked up how to say happy new year in Chinese, and maybe even committed it to memory.
Here’s how to wish someone a happy Chinese New Year in Chinese – and it’s not gong hei fat choy
But what if you wanted to write the greeting in a card?
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
There are several ways of wishing someone a happy new year in Chinese, as well as plenty of greetings and sayings you can use.
One of the most straightforward ones is perhaps xīn nián (new year) kuài lè (happy), which is written as 新年快乐 in simplified Chinese characters.
It literally says happy new year and can be used during Chinese New Year as well as the Gregorian New Year – perfect if you ever want to re-use it.
Here’s how you can write happy new year in Chinese, stroke by stroke:
Xīn
The character for xīn (新) comes first.
It means new and is written in 13 strokes, with each one written in order.
The length, position and direction of the strokes are all very important as a tiny mistake can render the character unrecognisable – or even change its meaning.
Nián
The second character is nián (年), meaning year.
Kuài
Kuài (快) comes next.
On its own, the Chinese character means fast – but when paired with lè (乐), it becomes happy.
Lè
Lè (乐) makes up the final character in happy new year.
Remember, there are several ways you can wish someone a happy Chinese New Year and this is just one them. At the end of the day, it’s the sentiment that counts.
MORE: Where do the Chinese New Year animals come from? The Chinese Zodiac explained
MORE: Why is there always a dragon or lion dance in Chinese New Year parades and celebrations?
MORE: Chinese New Year: 8 flowers and plants that will bring you luck and prosperity
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