Happy New Year In Chinese: How To Pronounce Basic Greetings

Happy Lunar New Year, readers!!
This article was originally published in 2014. For 2018, the Lunar New Year occurs on Feb. 16, and it is the year of the Earth Dog.
Here are a few more recent pieces for your celebrations:
15 Chinese New Year Collections That Commemorate The Year Of The Dog
11 Auspicious Baby Names Inspired By The Lunar New Year
Do You Need To Give Lai See? This Hilarious Chart Is Here To Help

If you're looking for a way to impress your friends on Chinese New Year, why not dabble in some basic greetings in Mandarin and Cantonese?

February 8th marks this year's New Year (or Nónglì Xinnián) which falls on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar. This year also happens to be the year of the wooden horse, signifying unexpected adventure and surprising romance. Fancy.

But for those who don't celebrate the holiday, learning basic greetings like "Hello" and "Happy New Year" in two of China's most popular languages can help you show off your (basic) language skills and make you sound a little more authentic when you're wishing someone a happy holiday.

Here are six basic greetings for Chinese New Year in Mandarin and Cantonese. And since we're all here to learn from each other, share your other greetings or popular sayings in the comments below. Xie xie.

Happy New Year (Mandarin)