新年
xīnnián
In Chinese, the phrase for 'new year' is 新年 (xīnnián).
新年 is a noun used to refer to the year following the current year. If you want to wish someone a 'Happy New Year', you can add 快乐 (kuàilè) after the word to say 新年快乐.
Meaning: year following the current year (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 新年 is composed of 新 (xīn), meaning 'new' and 年 (nián), meaning 'year'.
Which one should you use?
While 新年 refers generally to the new year, the term 春节 (chūnjié) specifically refers to the Lunar New Year holiday.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is xīnnián.
When do people say it?
Giving red packets, or hongbao, is a common tradition during Chinese New Year.
Did you know?
- The word for 'year' in 新年, which is 年 (nián), is also the name of a legendary monster in Chinese folklore that was said to appear every year.
- In some regions, rather than saying 'Happy New Year', people will specifically wish you 'prosperity' or 'wealth' using phrases like 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ fācái) during the festivities.
- The character 年 originally depicted a harvest of grain. In ancient times, the 'new year' was less about a calendar date and more about the successful completion of the agricultural cycle.
Examples in context
- 新年！新事业！New Year! New Career!This sentence uses 新年 to express a wish for a new career.Tatoeba #6799676 by basilhan, translation #4258881 by JFMorais
- 新年時我去看你。I'll see you in the new year.This sentence uses 新年 to indicate a time for a visit.Tatoeba #1020010 by egg0073, translation #1020009 by sundown
- 我新年的新希望是更努力地學習。My hope for the new year is to study harder.This sentence uses 新年 to describe a hope for the upcoming year.Tatoeba #719263 by egg0073, translation #719265 by eastasiastudent
- 恭祝新年快乐，大吉大利Wishing you a happy New Year with good luck and great fortune.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Zihan are talking about their plans for the upcoming holiday.
- 志强 Zhiqiang新年你打算去哪里玩？Xīnnián nǐ dǎsuàn qù nǎlǐ wán?Where do you plan to go for the new year?
- 梓涵 Zihan我还没决定，你呢，志强？Wǒ hái méi juédìng, nǐ ne, Zhìqiáng?I haven't decided yet, how about you, Zhiqiang?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我想在新年和家人在一起。Wǒ xiǎng zài xīnnián hé jiārén zàiyīqǐ.I want to be with my family during the new year.
- 梓涵 Zihan那真是个好主意，梓涵同意。Nà zhēnshì gè hǎo zhǔyì, Zǐhán tóngyì.That's a really great idea, Zihan agrees.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “new year” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
