恭喜发财

Cantonese

simpl.		恭喜发财
trad.		恭喜發財

Pronunciation

• Jyutping: gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4

  (Guangzhou) IPA: /kʊŋ⁵³ hei³⁵ fɑːt̚³ t͡sʰɔːi²¹/

  (Hong Kong) IPA: /kʊŋ⁵⁵ hei³⁵ fɑːt̚³ t͡sʰɔːi²¹/

Phrase

恭喜发财 (simplified, Romanization gung1 hei2 faat3 choi4, traditional 恭喜發財)

1. Happy New Year (Congratulations and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!)

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Mandarin

simpl.		恭喜发财
trad.		恭喜發財

Etymology

From 恭喜 ("to congratulate, respectfully wishing one joy") + 发财 ("to become rich, to make money"). Literally, "congratulations for becoming rich". Originated in post-Opium War Guangzhou Cantonese, now a general Chinese phrase.

Pronunciation

• (Beijing) IPA: /kʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ fa⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/
• (Tianjin) IPA: /kʊŋ²¹ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²⁴ fa²¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯⁴⁵/

Phrase

恭喜发财 (simplified, Pinyin gōngxǐ fācái, traditional 恭喜發財)

1. Happy New Year (congratulations and best wishes for a prosperous New Year)
   • 恭喜發財，紅包拿來！ (Mandarin)

     (a cheeky request for a red packet of lucky money)

   • 馬家輝，《我們──關於這個時代的一些喜悅與憂傷》：“他喜歡於大年初一打電話給一家酒樓，因為他明知道接電話的小姐拿起聽筒後說的第一句話必是「恭喜發財」，周石先生連忙回應「多謝多謝」，然後馬上收線；純粹為了取個好意頭，不為幫襯。”

     Ma Jiahui, "Us - Some Happiness and Sadness about This Era": "He liked to call a restaurant on every New Year's Day (of the lunar calendar), as he knew clearly the lady there answering the phone would inevitably greet him with 'Kung Hei Fat Choi'. Upon hearing this he (Zhou Shi) would promptly reply by saying 'Thank you, thank you' and then just hang up. His reason for doing this was just to get an auspicious start of the new year, not an act of patronisation."

References

• 1997, Jerome P. Keuper, Chinese 1000: Idiomatic and Colloquial Expressions (中国话：习惯用法和口语的表达法) (in English/Mandarin), Florida: Krieger Publishing Company, ISBN 1-57524-006-8: