We celebrated Chinese New Year with a Google Hangout this year! My good friend, Jeff Locker, and I had a ton of fun teaching our live viewers all about Chinese New Year vocabulary and traditions.  

Follow along with the video as we explain each important and useful word related to Chinese New Year below. 新年快乐！(xīn nián kuài lè) – Happy New Year! 🙂

春节 (chūn jié) – Chinese New Year/Spring Festival

过春节 (guò chūn jié) – celebrate Chinese New Year

本命年 (běn mìng nián) – Year of your birth sign (lit. self life year) 

红色 (hóng sè) – red 

红内裤 (hóng nèi kù) – red underwear,

红手链 (hóng shǒu liàn) – red bracelet

哦，这是你本命年吗? (ò zhè shì nǐ běn mìng nián ma) – Oh, this is the year of your birth sign? 

生肖 (shēng xiāo) – 12 animal symbols from the Chinese zodiac

你属什么 (nǐ shǔ shén me) – What year were you born in?

我属… (wǒ shǔ…) – My Chinese zodiac animal is…

今年是猴年 (jīn nián shì hóu nián) – This year is the Year of the Monkey.

我属猴 (wǒ shǔ hóu) – I was born in the Year of the Monkey.

红包 (hóng bāo) – red envelope

给红包 (gěi hóng bāo) – give red envelopes

收红包 (shōu hóng bāo) – receive red envelopes

你今年给红包还是收红包？(nǐ jīn nián gěi hóng bāo hái shì shōu hóng bāo) – This year are you giving red envelopes or receiving red envelopes?

传统 (chuán tǒng) – tradition

福 (fú) – fortune, luck, happiness

到了(dào le) – arrive 

倒了 (dào le) – turn upside down

福到了 (fú dào le) – good fortune has arrived

春联 (chūn lián) – New Year scrolls

接福接财接平安 (jiē fú jiē cái jiē píng ān) – receive happiness, wealth, and peace (this phrase is often written on 春联)

迎春迎喜迎富贵 (yíng chūn yíng xǐ yíng fù guì) – welcome spring, happiness, and prosperity (this phrase is often written on 春联)

Chinese New Year greetings and wishes

恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) – May you have a prosperous new year!

祝你… (zhù nǐ) – “Wish you” or “Wishing you”

祝你生日快乐 (zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài lè) – Wishing you a happy birthday!

猴年大吉 (hóu nián dà jí) – Good luck in the Year of the Monkey!

祝你猴年大吉- Wishing you good luck in the Year of the Monkey!

鸡年大吉 (jī nián dà jí) – Good luck in the Year of the Rooster

祝你心想事成 (zhù nǐ xīn xiǎng shì chéng) – (lit. heart thoughts things become) – I hope all your wishes become a reality!

身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng) – (lit. body healthy) – good health

祝你身体健康 (zhù nǐ shēn tǐ jiàn kāng) – Wishing you good health!

春晚 (chūn wǎn) – (lit. Spring evening) – Chinese equivalent of the Super Bowl. Everybody in China watches it. 

Happy studies in the Year of the Monkey! 恭喜发财！祝你心想事成！(gōng xǐ fā cái! zhù nǐ xīn xiǎng shì chéng!) 🙂

Other Chinese New Year articles