Happy Lunar New Year! In this post, we will go over common New Year wishes in Vietnamese. If you want to learn how to say Happy New Year and other Vietnamese vocabulary related to Tết holiday, check out this post instead.
Sentence Structure
To wish someone New Year wishes in Vietnamese, we say:
| (I) + chúc + (you) + (wishes) |
Depending on who you’re talking to and your situation, I and you can be any word like con, anh, chị, em, chú, bác, cô, etc. Chúc means to wish.
Example:
Con chúc mẹ được nhiều sức khỏe, sống lâu trăm tuổi và vạn sự như ý.
Sometimes, you can also add “năm mới” at the beginning of the sentence or after “(you)” to indicate “new year.”
Examples:
Năm mới con chúc mẹ được dồi dào sức khỏe.
Con chúc mẹ năm mới được dồi dào sức khỏe.
Now let’s learn some common New Year wishes in Vietnamese.
Được nhiều sức khỏe/ Dồi dào sức khỏe
Được nhiều sức khỏe, or dồi dào sức khỏe, means good health. The word được means to have, nhiều means a lot, and sức khỏe means health, strength. Dồi dào means exuberant, plentiful.
Đầy niềm vui và hạnh phúc
Đầy means full. Niềm vui means joy. Hạnh phúc means happiness. To wish someone a new year đầy niềm vui và hạnh phúc means to wish them a new year full of joy and happiness.
Vạn sự như ý
This is a phrase composed of Sino-Vietnamese or Chinese-Vietnamese words. Vạn means ten thousands. Sự means matters or events. Như means as, like, according to. Ý means will, intention. Vạn sự như ý is a Chinese-Vietnamese term that literally translates to “ten thousand matters or events will go according to your wish.” In other words, it means that everything will go according to your wish.
Sống lâu trăm tuổi
Sống means to live. Lâu means long time. Trăm means hundred. Tuổi means age, years old. “Sống lâu trăm tuổi” literally translates to “live a very long time to a hundred years old.” If you wish somebody sống lâu trăm tuổi, it means that you wish that they will live a very long life.
An khang thịnh vượng
This is another phrase composed of Sino-Vietnamese words. An means peaceful (mind). Khang means good physical health. Thịnh vượng means prosperity. Wishing someone an khang thịnh vượng means wishing them peaceful mind, good physical health, and prosperity.
Làm ăn phát tài/ Làm ăn phát đạt
Làm ăn is an informal way to say (do) business. Phát tài or phát đạt means prosperous, earning lots of money. Làm ăn phát tài, or làm ăn phát đạt, means prosperous business. Wishing someone làm ăn phát tài or làm ăn phát đạt means that you wish that their business will become prosperous or stay prosperous.
Tiền vô như nước
Tiền means money. Vô means to come in. Như means like, as. Nước means water. Tiền vô như nước literally translates to money comes in like water. Wishing someone tiền vô như nước means that you wish that they will have a lot of money coming in, so much money that it will flow in like water.
This phrase is usually a part of “Tiền vô như nước, tiền ra nhỏ giọt như cà phê phin.” The second part of the phrase, “tiền ra nhỏ giọt như cà phê phin,” means that money going out (of your pocket) is so little that it’s like coffee dripping from coffee filter. Tiền means money. Ra means go out. Nhỏ giọt means drip or dripping. Như means like, as. Cà phê phin means coffee filter.
Quiz
We have learned some vocabulary in this post. It’s time to test what we have learned. Are you ready?
