It’s almost time for our annual Chinese New Year bai nian visits. For some of us, this means angbaos. For others, it’s a great time to feast on yummy CNY goodies. One thing’s for sure, and that’s the fact that we’ll be uttering CNY greetings to the friends and fam we’ll be meeting.
If you’re gunning to make a lasting impression, we’ve got you covered. Move aside, basic overused well wishes: here are advanced Chinese New Year greetings to say this year that’ll make you seem less of a “jiak kantang”.
It’s not uncommon to start saying Chinese New Year greetings a few days before the actual start of CNY (17th February 2026), especially during lohei, which is traditionally done at reunion dinners on the eve of Chinese New Year. You can continue with CNY greetings all the way till the 15th day of CNY, or Chap Goh Mei.
Yes, in multicultural Singapore, you’ll find many non-Chinese using these new year greetings with their Chinese friends. If you’re unsure about pronunciation, a simple Happy New Year is still well-appreciated during this festive season.
In literal terms, this phrase describes horses prancing energetically in the spring breeze. On a deeper level though, it’s about kicking off the new year with confidence and vitality as we head into 2026, striving to become better, ever-growing versions of ourselves with strong momentum to take on this year’s challenges.
Now, if only there were a way to magically shed the extra pounds we’re about to gain from the countless hotpot feasts, we’re all ears.
It’s the Year of the Horse, so here’s a timely phrase you can casually slip into conversations this year. The saying carries the idea of achieving quick wins and smooth progress in whatever someone is pursuing, perfect for wishing them an effortless start to 2026.
Originally used to describe swift victories in ancient Chinese battles, this advanced CNY greeting now blesses recipients with success and momentum in life or work, making it a handy one to whip out for career-minded friends and ambitious cousins.
This CNY greeting is handy for the younger ones to greet working adults with – a.k.a. the main source of angbaos. It expresses a wish for one’s grand plans to materialise in the future. In other words, you’re basically wishing someone success in achieving their goals.
Roughly translated as someone “getting prettier and prettier”, this phrase serves as a compliment to a woman’s beauty. Perhaps you can use it to score some brownie points with your mother-in-law or wifey this CNY.
Image credit: Jessica Lai
If you know someone who is #foreveralone who wants to get out of the single zone, wish them well with this phrase during your CNY meet-up. It means that you wish for their Mr or Ms Right to appear right around the corner. Psst… if you’re an extra solid friend, maybe introduce your good-looking cousin to them this year. Who knows? They could be The One™.
You can greet anyone with this phrase regardless of their age or gender. When you use it, you’re wishing the recipient a year full of happiness and smiles. It’s the more cheem alternative to your usual “新年快乐” (xīn nián kuài lè) greeting.
Referencing one’s lucky star isn’t just something that’s done in English; it’s used in Chinese culture as well. When you say this CNY greeting to someone, you’re asking their “lucky star to shine bright” and wishing them good luck and success in life.
If your greetings bank for your younger school-age cousins is limited to just “学业进步” (xué yè jìn bù), it’s time for you up your game.
Level up with this saying which translates to a wish for someone to succeed in “imperial examinations”. While imperial examinations were abolished in China during the Qing Dynasty in 1905, Singapore’s still got national exams, so use this to wish someone academic success. Who knows, it just might help them the next time they’re dealing with notoriously difficult exam questions.
This Chinese idiom wishes someone a good future ahead. It’s another good CNY greeting to keep in mind if you have relatives who are still young or in school.
Needless to say, respecting our elders is extremely important, so try to have at least one advanced CNY greeting up your sleeve for them. And generally, you’d want to wish them a long and healthy life – which is precisely what this phrase is all about.
To score some bonus points, you may also throw in the phrase 福如东海 (fú rú dōng hǎi) beforehand to wish them boundless fortune.
Most of us might know that “发财” (fā cái) means getting rich, but if you add in “升官” (shēng guān) in front, you’ve got yourself a saying that means “receiving a promotion and getting more wealth”.
TL;DR: Use this to greet any career-minded person you know and hope they give you a fatter angbao.
Image credit: @jellyfied via Instagram
Another phrase which brings in the idea of rolling in cash, this CNY greeting wishes for money and wealth to generously enter one’s home. Baller lifestyle, where ya at?
Money and good fortune might be important, but what’s the point of wealth if you don’t have the health to enjoy it? To balance things out, don’t forget to wish your entire family safety and good health with phrases like this one.
Even if you can’t remember all of these CNY greetings, it’ll still be useful to memorise one or two in your head. After all, you never know when they’ll come in handy or score you some extra angbaos.
More CNY articles:
Originally published on 31 January 2022. Last updated by Celine Wee on 3rd February 2026.
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