拜年Chinese New Year 2027 greetings for colleagues, clients and in-laws
Short, natural greetings for the people you actually need to message: a coworker on WeChat, a client by email, your partner's parents at the door. Each one has pinyin, English and the HSK level of its words.
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat (羊年, also called the Year of the Sheep).
New Year's Eve, 除夕 (chúxī), is Friday 5 February. That evening is when most greetings are sent. For work contacts, send yours on the last working day before the holiday, before people go home. Greetings are still welcome up to the Lantern Festival, 元宵节 (Yuánxiāo Jié), on 20 February.
The one greeting that always works
If you only learn one line, learn the first one. It is right for anyone, in writing or out loud.
新年好！Xīnnián hǎo!Happy New Year! (more common when you say it face to face)新年HSK 3好HSK 1
春节快乐！Chūnjié kuàilè!Happy Spring Festival!春节beyond HSK 5快乐HSK 2
To colleagues (WeChat)
With coworkers at your own level, use 你. Start with their name: a greeting with a name reads as written for them, while a long forwarded poem reads as sent to everyone.
新的一年，我们一起加油！Xīn de yì nián, wǒmen yìqǐ jiāyóu!Here's to a great new year working together!新HSK 1一起HSK 2加油HSK 4
To clients and business partners (email or WeChat)
Use 您, the polite "you", and address the person by surname and title: 王总 for a senior manager or company head named Wang, 李经理 for Manager Li.
A good business greeting does three things: wishes them well, thanks them for the past year, and looks forward to the next one. For an email, a subject line such as 新春快乐 followed by your company name is enough.
王总，新春快乐！感谢您过去一年的支持，期待新的一年继续合作！Wáng zǒng, xīnchūn kuàilè! Gǎnxiè nín guòqù yì nián de zhīchí, qīdài xīn de yì nián jìxù hézuò!Happy Spring Festival, Mr Wang! Thank you for your support this past year. We look forward to working with you again in the new year.新春beyond HSK 5快乐HSK 2感谢HSK 4您HSK 1过去HSK 2支持HSK 4期待HSK 5继续HSK 4合作HSK 5
祝您新年快乐，万事如意！Zhù nín xīnnián kuàilè, wànshì rúyì!Wishing you a happy New Year, and may everything go as you wish!祝HSK 4您HSK 1新年HSK 3快乐HSK 2万事如意beyond HSK 5
祝您和家人新春快乐，阖家幸福！Zhù nín hé jiārén xīnchūn kuàilè, héjiā xìngfú!Happy Spring Festival to you and your family, and happiness to your whole household!祝HSK 4您HSK 1家人HSK 1新春beyond HSK 5快乐HSK 2幸福HSK 4
To your partner's parents (in person)
Before marriage, call your partner's parents 叔叔 (shūshu, uncle) and 阿姨 (āyí, auntie). After the wedding, most people switch to 爸 and 妈.
For older people, wish them health first. Money wishes are for friends and colleagues.
给您拜年了！Gěi nín bàinián le!I've come to wish you a happy New Year! (said when you arrive for a New Year visit)给HSK 1您HSK 1拜年beyond HSK 5
祝您身体健康，万事如意！Zhù nín shēntǐ jiànkāng, wànshì rúyì!Wishing you good health, and may everything go as you wish!祝HSK 4您HSK 1身体HSK 2健康HSK 3万事如意beyond HSK 5
Red envelopes and the Year of the Goat
Red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) hold money for children, unmarried younger relatives, and sometimes staff. Use new notes and an even amount; 6 and 8 are lucky, and 4 is avoided because 四 sounds like 死 (death). On WeChat you can send a digital red envelope with a short greeting as its message.
三羊开泰 plays on the old saying 三阳开泰, "spring returns and good fortune begins", swapping 阳 (sun) for its sound-alike 羊 (goat). It only fits a Goat year, so 2027 is the time to use it.
恭喜发财！Gōngxǐ fācái!Wishing you prosperity! (the classic line when giving or receiving a red envelope)恭喜HSK 5发财beyond HSK 5
恭喜发财，红包拿来！Gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo ná lái!Wishing you prosperity, now hand over the red envelope! (a joke children and close friends make)恭喜HSK 5发财beyond HSK 5红包HSK 4
羊年大吉！Yáng nián dàjí!Great luck in the Year of the Goat!羊HSK 3年HSK 1
三羊开泰，新年大吉！Sān yáng kāi tài, xīnnián dàjí!May the Goat year bring good fortune, and great luck in the New Year!新年HSK 3
How to reply
When someone greets you first, thank them and send the wish back.
同乐同乐！Tónglè tónglè!Same to you! (casual, between friends and colleagues)
What not to say or do
Keep New Year talk positive: no mentions of death, illness or bad luck, even as a joke. If something breaks during the holiday, people say the line below to turn it into a good sign, a pun on 岁岁平安 (peace year after year).
Don't give a clock as a gift: 送钟 (give a clock) sounds like 送终 (attend someone's death). Avoid white or black envelopes, which belong to funerals, and amounts with a 4 in them.
Don't forward a long group message to a client or a partner's parents. A short line with their name and title says more.
碎碎平安！Suìsuì píng'ān!Broken pieces, peace every year! (said when something breaks)平安HSK 5
Learn the words behind the greetings
Tap a coloured word above to open its HSK word list. To check a message you wrote yourself, paste it into the level checker and see which words are above your level.