恭喜发财
gōng xǐ fā cái
The phrase "hope you get rich" in Chinese is 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái).
恭喜发财 is a standard greeting used specifically during the Lunar New Year to wish others prosperity and wealth.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 恭喜, which means congratulations and 发财, which means to make a fortune or get rich.
How do you pronounce it?
gōng xǐ fā cái
When do people say it?
This phrase is often paired with the greeting 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè), which means Happy New Year.
Did you know?
- If someone says 恭喜发财 to you, the socially correct response is not to say 'thank you' but to reply with 恭喜恭喜, which effectively bounces the congratulations back to the speaker.
- Although used widely in Mandarin today, the phrase has its deep roots in the Cantonese-speaking regions of Southern China. This linguistic origin explains why it became so deeply associated with the specific merchant and trading cultures of the south.
- The phrase is often accompanied by the giving of 'red envelopes' containing money. The act of wishing someone wealth is physically manifested through these gifts, making the verbal phrase and the physical gift a single social ritual.
Examples in context
- 张先生，希望你财源滚滚来Mr. Zhang, hope you have abundant financial resources
- 朋友，祝你财富滚滚来！Friend, wish you rolling in wealth!
- 新年快乐，恭喜发财！Xīnnián kuàilè, gōngxǐ fācái!Happy New Year, hope you get rich!
- 过年了，恭喜发财呀！Guònián le, gōngxǐ fācái ya!It's the New Year, hope you get rich!
Example conversation
Wei and Jiayi meet during the Lunar New Year festival.
- 伟 Wei佳怡，新年好！恭喜发财！Jiāyí, xīnnián hǎo! Gōngxǐ fācái!Jiayi, Happy New Year! Wish you prosperity!
- 佳怡 Jiayi谢谢你，伟！也祝你恭喜发财。Xièxiè nǐ, Wěi! Yě zhù nǐ gōngxǐ fācái.Thank you, Wei! I wish you prosperity too.
- 伟 Wei这个新年你打算怎么过？Zhège xīnnián nǐ dǎsuàn zěnme guò?How do you plan to spend this New Year?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想和家人一起吃晚餐。Wǒ xiǎng hé jiārén yīqǐ chī wǎncān.I want to have dinner with my family.
