New Year Chinese Vocabulary to Greet 2023

by That's Mandarin | Dec 26, 2022

As the holiday season continues, the next big holiday to look forward to is the New Year’s Day. The New Year represents new beginnings, which we all need so much. Let’s hope that 2023 will be brighter, better, and full of joy – for everyone! So in this year’s final Chinese lesson, let’s look at some useful Chinese vocabulary you can use to talk about the New year.

New Year Chinese Vocabulary

01. New Year’s Day

元旦
Yuándàn
New Year’s Day
(lit. “first-daybreak”)

元旦前夜
Yuándàn Qiányè
New Year’s Eve
(lit. “first-daybreak-before-night”)

02. The Calendar

Remember how to pronounce dates and years in Chinese? Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

2023年
èr-líng-èr-sān nián
2023
(lit. “2-0-2-3-year”)

一月一日
yī yuè yī rì
January 1
(lit. “1-month-1-day”)

03. New Year’s Celebration

Ways to celebrate the New Year holiday differ around the world. Here are some words that come to our mind when we think of the New Year’s Eve – see if they are similar or different from yours:

新年倒计时
xīnnián dàojìshí
New Year’s countdown

香槟酒
xiāngbīnjiǔ
champagne

烟花
yānhuā
fireworks

元旦贺卡
Yuándàn hèkǎ
New Year greeting card

04. New Year’s Wishes

Now that you know so much, you can also wish your friends and family a Happy New Year in Chinese:

元旦快乐!
Yuándàn kuàilè!
Happy New Year!
(lit. “New Year-happy/merry”)

NOTE: You can say “新年快乐” (Xīnnián kuàilè, lit. “new-year-merry”) as well, but mind that this phrase is also used as a Spring Festival greeting. To avoid the disambiguation, use “元旦快乐” (Yuándàn kuàilè) which is a bit more specific.

05. New Year’s Resolutions

The New Year holiday is known for bringing a fresh new start. People all around the world love to make new plans and set new goals, which are also known as New Year’s resolutions: