Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 春節 / 春节 | chūnjié |
| 農曆新年 / 农历新年 | nónglì xīnnián |
You can use these terms to refer to the holiday. To say 'to celebrate the Lunar New Year', use the verb 過 (guò) with the noun, as in 過春節 / 过春节.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 春節 / 春节 literally translates to 'Spring Festival'. The term 農曆新年 / 农历新年 literally means 'Lunar calendar new year'.
Which one should you use?
春節 / 春节 is the most common and traditional way to refer to the holiday in daily conversation, whereas 農曆新年 / 农历新年 is a more descriptive, formal term for the holiday itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, 新年快乐 (san^1 nin^4 faai^3 lok^1) means Happy New Year.
How do you pronounce it?
chūnjié
When do people say it?
The tradition of giving red envelopes (红包 – hóng bāo) containing money is a key part of Lunar New Year celebrations. A common blessing during the Lunar New Year is 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái), which means Wishing you prosperity. A common blessing during the Lunar New Year is 身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng), which means Wishing you good health.
Did you know?
- The colour red is so central to the 'Spring Festival' that it is traditionally used in decorations and clothing to frighten away a mythical beast called 'Nian'.
- When giving the red envelopes known as 红包 / 红包 (hóng bāo), it is considered bad luck to open them in front of the giver.
- The word 春 (chūn) in 春節 / 春节 means 'spring', but the holiday date varies each year. This means the 'Spring Festival' can actually begin in January, well before the astronomical spring.
Examples in context
- 祝您新年快乐！Wishing you a Happy New Year!
- 祝您农历新年万事如意！Wishing you all the best in the Lunar New Year!
- 恭祝您春节快乐，心想事成！Wishing you a joyful Spring Festival and may all your wishes come true!
- 过年好！Happy New Year!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lunar new year” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
