새해 복 많이 받으세요
saehae bok mani badeuseyo[sʰɛɦɛ po̞ŋma̠ni pa̠dɯsʰe̞jo]
The English phrase "happy lunar new year" is translated into Korean as 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bok mani badeuseyo).
This greeting is used to wish someone good luck and happiness during the Lunar New Year. It can be understood as "May you receive many blessings in the New Year."
What does it mean word for word?
A literal translation of the phrase is "new year luck much receive please".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
새해 복 많이 받으세요 is the polite version and is suitable for use with elders or people you are not close with. In contrast, 새해 복 많이 받아 is an informal way to say the same greeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version of the greeting is 새해 복 많이 받아.
How do you pronounce it?
saehae bok mani badeuseyo
Did you know?
- The word for luck or blessing 복 is a homonym for the word meaning 'pufferfish'.
- The word 복 is a Sino-Korean word derived from the Chinese character 福, which is often displayed upside down in some East Asian cultures to symbolize luck 'arriving'.
- In many Korean households, instead of just saying the greeting, people participate in the custom of 'sebae', where younger members perform a deep bow to elders after exchanging these wishes.
Examples in context
- 새해 복 많이 받으세요.saehae bok mani badeuseyo.Happy Lunar New Year.
- 모두 새해 복 많이 받으세요!modu saehae bok mani badeuseyo!Happy New Year to everyone!
- 선생님, 새해 복 많이 받으세요.seonsaengnim, saehae bok mani badeuseyo.Teacher, happy lunar new year.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun meet at a cafe during the holiday week.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 새해 복 많이 받으세요.jihun ssi, saehae bok mani badeuseyo.Jihun, happy lunar new year.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈 씨도 새해 복 많이 받으세요.subin ssi do saehae bok mani badeuseyo.Happy new year to you too, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin즐거운 명절 보내세요.jeulgeoun myeongjeol bonaeseyo.Have a wonderful holiday.
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 감사합니다.ne, gamsahamnida.Yes, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 새해 복 많이 받으세요, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 복, 새해, 새해 복 많이 받으세요, CC BY-SA 4.0.
