恭喜發財

See also: 恭喜发财

Chinese

Chinese phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

		to congratulate, respectfully wishing one joy	to become rich, to make money
trad. (恭喜發財)		恭喜	發財
simp. (恭喜发财)		恭喜	发财
Literally: “congratulations for becoming rich”.

FWOTD – 10 February 2013

Etymology

Originated in post-Opium War Guangzhou Cantonese, now a general Chinese phrase.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gōngxǐ fācái

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄥ ㄒㄧˇ ㄈㄚ ㄘㄞˊ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): guung¹ hei² fat¹ toi³

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kiûng-hí fat-chhòi

  (Meixian, Guangdong): giung¹ hi³ fad⁵ coi²

• Eastern Min (BUC): gṳ̆ng-hī huák-cài
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kiong-hí hoat-châi

  (Teochew, Peng'im): giong¹ hi² huag⁴ cai⁵ / giong¹ hi² huêg⁴ cai⁵

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹kon-shi ⁷faq ⁶ze

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gōngxǐ fācái
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄥ ㄒㄧˇ ㄈㄚ ㄘㄞˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gongsǐ facái
    • Wade–Giles: kung¹-hsi³ fa¹-tsʻai²
    • Yale: gūng-syǐ fā-tsái
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gongshii fatsair
    • Palladius: гунси фацай (gunsi facaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ fä⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴
    • Yale: gūng héi faat chòih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gung¹ hei² faat⁸ tsoi⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: gung¹ héi² fad³ coi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵ hei̯³⁵ faːt̚³ t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: guung¹ hei² fat¹ toi³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɵŋ³³ hei⁵⁵ fat̚³³ tʰᵘɔi²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kiûng-hí fat-chhòi
    • Hakka Romanization System: giung^ˊ hi^ˋ fad^ˋ coi^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: giung¹ hi³ fad⁵ coi²
    • Sinological IPA: /ki̯uŋ²⁴ hi³¹ fat̚² t͡sʰoi̯¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: giung¹ hi³ fad⁵ coi²
    • Sinological IPA: /kiʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ hi³¹ fat̚¹ t͡sʰoɪ¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gṳ̆ng-hī huák-cài
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ^(h-)ŋi³³ huaʔ²⁴⁻²¹ t͡sai⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kiong-hí hoat-châi
    • Tâi-lô: kiong-hí huat-tsâi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kionghie hoatzaai
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁵ t͡sai¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hi⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Philippines): /kiɔŋ³³ hi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ huat̚⁵⁻²⁴ t͡sai²⁴/
    • IPA (Singapore): /kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁴²⁻²⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: giong¹ hi² huag⁴ cai⁵ / giong¹ hi² huêg⁴ cai⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kiong hí huak tshâi / kiong hí huek tshâi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kioŋ³³⁻²³ hi⁵²⁻³⁵ huak̚²⁻⁴ t͡sʰai⁵⁵/, /kioŋ³³⁻²³ hi⁵²⁻³⁵ huek̚²⁻⁴ t͡sʰai⁵⁵/

Note: giong1 hi2 huêg4 cai5 - Chaozhou.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹kon-shi ⁷faq ⁶ze
    • MiniDict: kon^平 shi fah^入 ze^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kon-xi ⁴faq ³ze
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /koŋ⁵⁵ ɕi³³  faʔ⁴⁴  ze²³/

Phrase

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！ [MSC, trad.]
   恭喜发财，红包拿来！ [MSC, simp.]

   Gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo ná lái! [Pinyin]

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

   恭喜發財，利市𢭃來！ [Guangzhou Cantonese, trad.]
   恭喜发财，利市𢭃来！ [Guangzhou Cantonese, simp.]

   gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴, lai⁶ si⁶ dau⁶ loi⁴! [Jyutping]

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

   • 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。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     他喜欢于大年初一打电话给一家酒楼，因为他明知道接电话的小姐拿起听筒后说的第一句话必是「恭喜发财」，周石先生连忙回应「多谢多谢」，然后马上收线；纯粹为了取个好意头，不为帮衬。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 馬家輝 (Ma Ka Fai), 《我們──關於這個時代的一些喜悅與憂傷》 (Us - Some Happiness and Sadness about This Era), page 62

     taa¹ hei² fun¹ jyu¹ daai⁶ nin⁴ co¹ jat¹ daa² din⁶ waa^6-2 kap¹ jat¹ gaa¹ zau² lau⁴, jan¹ wai⁶ taa¹ ming⁴ zi¹ dou³ zip³ din⁶ waa^6-2 dik¹ siu² ze² naa⁴ hei² teng¹ tung² hau⁶ syut³ dik¹ dai⁶ jat¹ geoi³ waa⁶ bit¹ si⁶ “gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴”, zau¹ sek⁶ sin¹ saang¹ lin⁴ mong⁴ wui⁴ jing³ “do¹ ze⁶ do¹ ze⁶”, jin⁴ hau⁶ maa⁵ soeng⁶ sau¹ sin³; seon⁴ seoi⁶ wai⁶ liu⁵ ceoi² go³ hou² ji³ tau⁴, bat¹ wai⁶ bong¹ can³. [Jyutping]

     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."

Synonyms

• 新年快樂／新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè)
• 新年好 (xīnniánhǎo)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (恭喜發財):

• → Vietnamese: cung hỉ phát tài (恭喜發財)

Others:

• → English: Kung Hei Fat Choi, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Kiong Hee Huat Chai
• → Indonesian: Kiong Hi Huat Cai
• → Tagalog: Kung Hey Fat Tsoy, Kiong Hee Huat Tsai

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
恭	喜	發	財

Phrase

恭喜發財

1. chữ Hán form of cung hỉ phát tài (“May you have a prosperous New Year!”).