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恭喜发财

Word

May you have a prosperous New Year! (New Year's greeting)

Traditional
恭喜發財

gōng xǐ fā cái

gong1xi3fa1cai2

Meaning

  1. May you have a prosperous New Year! (New Year's greeting) CC-CEDICT

Usage guide

Common phrase

恭喜发财 is what people say to wish someone a prosperous Lunar New Year. You'll hear it in shops, on family visits and when red envelopes are handed out.

[恭喜](/word/恭喜) (gōng xǐ) "congratulations" + [发财](/word/发财) (fā cái) "to make a fortune". Word for word it's "congratulations, get rich!" That sounds blunt in English, but in Chinese it comes across as cheerful and warm, a hope that the coming year will be a good one.

How to pronounce 恭喜发财

Saygōng xǐ fā cái

Two pairs: gōngxǐ · fācái. gōng (1st tone, high and flat) · xǐ (3rd, said low) · fā (1st, high and flat) · cái (2nd, rising).

  • Pinyin c is never a "k" sound. 财 cái starts like the end of "cats": "tsai?".
  • 喜 comes before a first tone, so it's usually said as a short, low tone without rising back up. Pinyin x is a soft "sh".
  • gōng and fā are both held high and flat.
  • Kung Hei Fat Choi and Gung Hay Fat Choy are Cantonese pronunciations of the same four characters, and Gong Xi Fa Cai is Mandarin. Hokkien and Teochew speakers in parts of Southeast Asia use spellings like Kiong Hi Huat Chai. None of them is "wrong"; choose the one your listener uses.

When to use 恭喜发财 — and when not to

Good times to say it
  • During Lunar New Year, from New Year's Eve (除夕) through the Lantern Festival (元宵节). In 2027 that's February 5 to February 20.
  • To shopkeepers, coworkers, clients, and friends. It's especially popular in business settings.
  • When giving or receiving a red envelope ([红包](/word/红包) hóngbāo).
  • On cards and messages, often together with other wishes: 新年快乐，恭喜发财！
On January 1, say 新年快乐

恭喜发财 is tied to the Lunar New Year, so it's rarely used on January 1. Use 新年快乐 then. For older relatives, many people lead with health instead, 祝您身体健康！, and add 恭喜发财 as a cheerful extra.

Use with care

If a family has recently lost someone, festive greetings may feel out of place. A simple, quiet 新年好 or a few kind words is usually safer. The joke reply 红包拿来 is for family and close friends, not your boss.

How to reply when someone says 恭喜发财

  • 恭喜发财！gōng xǐ fā cáiWishing you prosperity! · just say it back; this is the most common reply
  • 大家发财！dà jiā fā cáiProsperity to us all!
  • 同喜同喜！tóng xǐ tóng xǐSame joy to you!
  • 新年快乐！xīn nián kuài lèHappy New Year! · answering with a different greeting is fine
  • 恭喜发财，红包拿来！gōng xǐ fā cái hóng bāo ná láiWishing you wealth, now hand over the red envelope! · kids' classic joke

Short dialogues

1. At a shop during the holiday

  1. Customer

    老板，恭喜发财！

    lǎo bǎn gōng xǐ fā cái

    Happy New Year, boss! (to a shop owner)

  2. Owner

    恭喜发财！新年快乐！

    gōng xǐ fā cái xīn nián kuài lè

    Prosperity to you! Happy New Year!

2. Getting a red envelope

  1. Aunt

    来，给你红包。恭喜发财！

    lái gěi nǐ hóng bāo gōng xǐ fā cái

    Here's a red envelope for you. Wishing you prosperity!

  2. Child

    谢谢阿姨！祝您身体健康！

    xiè xie ā yí zhù nín shēn tǐ jiàn kāng

    Thank you, Auntie! Wishing you good health!

3. Messaging a coworker

  1. A

    恭喜发财，新的一年工作顺利！

    gōng xǐ fā cái xīn de yī nián gōng zuò shùn lì

    Wishing you prosperity and a smooth year at work!

  2. B

    同喜同喜！大家发财！

    tóng xǐ tóng xǐ dà jiā fā cái

    Same to you! Prosperity to us all!

恭喜发财 vs other Chinese New Year greetings

GreetingPinyinUse it whenNote
恭喜发财This pagegōng xǐ fā cáiLunar New Year; shops, coworkers, red envelopesWishing you prosperity
新年快乐xīn nián kuài lèAny New Year, including Jan 1Happy New Year
过年好 / 新年好guò nián hǎo / xīn nián hǎoMeeting people in person during the holidayHappy New Year (spoken)
春节快乐chūn jié kuài lèMessages and cardsHappy Spring Festival
万事如意wàn shì rú yìAdd-on wish, cardsMay everything go your way
身体健康shēn tǐ jiàn kāngOlder relativesGood health
大吉大利dà jí dà lìCheerful add-on, especially in Cantonese-speaking areasGreat luck and success

Writing it: traditional Chinese is 恭喜發財. 财 contains 贝 (shell), because shells were once used as money, and the same component appears in many money-related characters. 恭喜恭喜 (gōng xǐ gōng xǐ) is also the title of a classic Chinese New Year song from the 1940s.

FAQ

What does gong xi fa cai mean?
恭喜发财 means "Wishing you prosperity" (literally "congratulations, get rich"). It's a Lunar New Year greeting.
Is it Gong Xi Fa Cai or Kung Hei Fat Choi?
Both are the same phrase, 恭喜发财. Gong Xi Fa Cai is Mandarin; Kung Hei Fat Choi (also spelled Gung Hay Fat Choy) is Cantonese.
Does gong xi fa cai mean Happy New Year?
Not literally. It wishes someone prosperity. People use it the way English speakers use "Happy New Year," often together with 新年快乐.
How do you respond to gong xi fa cai?
Say 恭喜发财 back. You can also say 大家发财 ("prosperity to us all") or 新年快乐.
Can I say gong xi fa cai on January 1?
It's tied to the Lunar New Year, so most people save it for then. On January 1, 新年快乐 is the usual greeting.
What is "Gong Xi Gong Xi"?
恭喜恭喜 (gōng xǐ gōng xǐ, "congratulations!") is a classic Chinese New Year song from the 1940s, often played during the holiday. The phrase itself is also used as a short, cheerful "Congratulations!"

AI-generated

Characters in 恭喜发财

恭gōng喜xǐ发fā财cái