by Frank YU
The Spring Festival is China’s biggest holiday, beloved of the Chinese people. It is a day for reunion and blessing, and a time to wish one another prosperity and good fortune—which makes New Year’s proverbs especially appropriate for this issue on small businesses.
The date of Chinese New Year (also known as the Spring Festival) is determined by the lunar/solar calendar rather than the Western (Gregorian) calendar, so it can occur any time from late January to mid-February. In 2013, the Spring Festival falls on February 10, and the new year will be the year of the (water) snake. Each Chinese year is represented by a repeated cycle of 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, hare or rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. In this issue, I would like to introduce five proverbs popular for wishing people well on the occasion of the Spring Festival.
1. 恭喜发财
gōng xǐ fā cái
Translation: Wishing you good fortune and prosperity.
Usage
This is the most popular expression of good wishes used on the occasion of the Spring Festival. It is also used at the opening of a business.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 恭喜 | gōngxǐ | to congratulate; to wish (V) |
| 发财 | fācái | rich and prosperous (Adj) |
Example
新年好 ! 恭喜发财.
Happy Chinese New Year; may it bring you good fortune and prosperity.)
恭喜发财，祝你们公司发展顺利
I wish you good fortune and prosperity, and I hope your company achieves success.
2. 心想事成
Xīn xiǎng shì chéng
Translation: May all your wishes come true.
Usage
This proverb is always used to bless others when they are making a new start, such as at the beginning of the New Year or a new job.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 心 | xīn | heart (N) |
| 想 | xiǎng | to want to; to dream of (V) |
| 事 | shì | things; plans (N) |
| 成 | chéng | to be true; to realize; to succeed (V) |
Example
祝你在新的一年里心想事成!
May all your wishes come true in the New Year!
3. 万事如意
Wàn shì rú yì
Translation: Everything goes well.
Usage
This proverb is used to bless others at the beginning of the New Year, a new job, etc. Some people like using it combined with the proverb 心想事成 xīn xiǎng shì chéng.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 万 | wàn | ten thousands, a great number (Nu) |
| 事 | shì | things, plans (N) |
| 如意 | rúyì | to go well, to go as you want (V) |
Example
祝贺你考上理想的大学，愿你心想事成，万事如意.
Congratulations on your acceptance to such an ideal university. May all your wishes come true, and may everything go well in your university life.
4. 五谷丰登，六畜兴旺
Wǔgǔ fēng dēng, liùchù xingwàng
Translation: Crops are abundant; domestic animals flourish.
Usage
This proverb describes a good harvest and affluent life for farmers.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 五谷 | wǔgǔ | a general designation for crops (N) |
| 丰 | fēng | plentiful, abundant (Adj) |
| 登 | dēng | to be ripe (V/Adj) |
| 六畜 | liùchù | the six domesticate animals (cattle, horses, goats, pigs, chickens, and dogs) |
| 兴旺 | xìngwàng | blossoming, flourishing (Adj) |
Example
祝全世界农民猪年五谷丰登，六畜兴旺!
In the year of the pig, may crops be abundant and domestic animals flourish for farmers the world over.
5. 瑞雪兆丰年
Ruì xué zhào feng nián
Translation: An auspicious snow promises an abundant year.
Usage
This idiom expresses the idea that in winter, a timely snow promises a good harvest the following year.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 瑞 | ruì | auspicious, wonderful, timely (Adj) |
| 雪 | xué | snow (N) |
| 兆 | zhào | promise (N), to foretell (V) |
| 丰 | fēng | plentiful, abundant (Adj) |
| 年 | nián | year (N) |
Example
2006 年的最后两天，北京下了一场大雪，“瑞雪兆丰年”，这是一个好兆头。
On the last two days of 2006, snow was falling in Beijing. It is a good sign, for as the Chinese proverb goes, “an auspicious snow promises an abundant year.”
