Whether it’s in Cantonese — Kung Hei Fat Choy! — or Mandarin — Gong Xi Fa Cai! –- it means “Wishing you prosperity!” and is the popular lunar new year greeting for people of Chinese descent around the world.
subsequently Is Kung Hei Fat Choy correct? Kung Hei Fat Choy, which means “wishing you to make lots of money or a fortune,” is popular for two reasons. It’s mostly said among Cantonese during the New Year. … However, Kung Hei Fat Choy is simply outdated.
How do you reply to Gong Xi Fa Cai? When someone greets you “Gong Xi Fa Cai” or “Gong Hey Fat Choy,” a fun way to respond is with “Hong Bao Na Lai” which means “Red envelope please.”
as well What does Xin Nian Hao mean? In Mandarin, “Happy Chinese New Year” is “xin nian kuai le” (pronounced shin nee-an kwai le), which is a formal greeting typically used for strangers and means “New Year happiness.” A shortened version is “xin nian hao” (pronounced shin nee-an how) is more often used for friends and family.
What is the difference between kung hei fat choi and Gong Xi Fa Cai?
Short of the long: Gong Xi Fa Cai is Mandarin while Kung Hei Fat Choi is Cantonese. The syllables Gong Xi/Kung Hei mean congratulations, while Fa Cai/Fat Choi translate to become prosperous or have lots of money. So they mean the same thing: “Congratulations and may you be prosperous.”
Is Gong Xi fa cai correct? Gong hei fat choy’ is the Cantonese way of saying the phrase and in Mandarin Chinese, it’s ‘gong xi fa cai’ (pronounced gong she fa tsai). FYI, it’s not a hard and fast rule but Cantonese is generally spoken in Guangdong (formerly known as Canton) and surrounding areas, as well as Hong Kong.
identically Is Gong Xi fa cai Mandarin? Gong Xi Fa Cai is Mandarin, while Kung Hei Fatt Choy is Cantonese. In Hokkien, it’s pronounced Kiong Hee Huat Tsai. They actually refer to the same four characters, æ å–œå ‘è´¢, which is a common greeting during Chinese New Year. The phrase literally means “Congratulations and prosperity to you!”.
What does Kiong Hi mean? He recommended using “kiong hee,” the short version of the Hokkien greeting, which means “wishing you happiness.” It can be used any time of year.
What color should you not wear on Chinese New Year?
You Must Not Wear Black
Everyone loves the colour black because it flatters most body shapes. Unfortunately, it is a colour that you must never wear during the new year because black is typically worn during funerals. The colour has been associated with death, depression and all sorts of inauspicious things!
How do you congratulate someone in Chinese? Other ways to congratulate people are:
- 恭喜你！ gōng xǐ nǐ – Congratulations to you!
- 我都替你高兴！ wǒ dōu tì nǐ gāo xìng – I’m happy for you！
- 我真为你高兴！ wǒ zhēn wèi nǐ gāoxìng – I am so happy for you!
- 干得好！ gàn dé hǎo！ …
- 太棒了！ tài bàng le！ …
- 你真棒！ nǐ zhēn bàng – You are awesome!
- 了不起！ liǎo bù qǐ！ …
- 你太厉害了！ tài lì hai le – You are so great!
What does Gong Xi Fa Chai mean?
Another common greeting used is gong xi fa cai, pronounced gong-zee-fah-tsai. This is a common wishing of prosperity, literally translating to “wishing you enlarge your wealth.”
How do you answer Kung Hei Fat Choi? Simply respond with the same phrase they used. It means “Wishing you a prosperous year, too.” A fun way to respond to someone who greets you with Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) or Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese) is Hong Bao Na Lai, “Red envelope please!”
What is eaten on Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year Food: Top 7 Lucky Foods and Symbolism
- Fish — an Increase in Prosperity. Steam fish. …
- Chinese Dumplings — Wealth. …
- Spring Rolls — Wealth. …
- Glutinous Rice Cake — a Higher Income or Position. …
- Sweet Rice Balls — Family Togetherness. …
- Longevity Noodles — Happiness and Longevity. …
- Good Fortune Fruit — Fullness and Wealth.
How do you say Happy Chinese New Year in Hong Kong?
In Hong Kong, where Cantonese is the official language, the common way to say ‘Happy New Year’ is gong hei fat choy, which literally means ‘wishing you great happiness and prosperity’.
How do you read a gong xi fa cai?
How do you pronounce Gong Xi?
What is fa cai in English?
fà cài. long thread moss (Nostoc flagelliforme), an edible algae also called faat choy or hair moss.
How do you say Gong Xi Fat Cai?
How do you pronounce Kung Hei fat choy?
Why can’t you wash your hair on Chinese New Year? Hair must not be washed on Chinese New Year’s Day. In Mandarin, hair (发, fa) has the same pronunciation (and indeed is the same character) as fa in facai (发财), which means ‘to become wealthy’. Therefore, it is seen as not a good thing to “wash one’s fortune away” at the beginning of the New Year.
Is it bad luck to shower on New Year’s day?
If for any reason a gift is to be given this day, leave it in a car or out building New Year’s Eve. — Some cultures believe one should not wash his or her hair on New Year’s Day because it will wash away the good fortune of that person.
What can you not eat during Chinese New Year? In Chinese tradition, white is an unlucky color because it symbolizes death, so all white foods are out for the celebration. Tofu, eggs, white cheeses — say goodbye to them for the night. We’re not sure where brown eggs stand since they have white insides, but perhaps it’s better to be safe and cook up something else.
What is your name in Chinese?
In Chinese, as we heard in this lesson’s dialogue, one way of asking a person their name is: 你叫什么名字？ Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì? “What is your name” (literally: “You called what name?”)
How do you say best wishes in Chinese? General Well-Wishing
- 心想事成 (xīn xiǎng shì chéng): May all your wishes come true.
- 出入平安 (chū rù píng ān): May you have peace wherever you go.
- 一帆风顺 (yī fān fēng shùn): May you have smooth sailing (i.e. figuratively).
- 吉祥如意 (jí xiang rú yì): May you be as lucky as you desire.
How do you write jiayou in Chinese?
Jiayou (Mandarin Chinese: 加油; pinyin: jiā yóu) or Gayau (Cantonese Chinese: 加油; Jyutping: gaa1 jau4) is a ubiquitous Chinese expression of encouragement and support.