[Veers]

Happy Chinese New Year from Australia.

I'm not in the know in regards to anything else other than saying that. Enjoy!

[Pred the Penguin]

There's not really any other way to say it, I don't think so. Happy Chinese New Year to you, too?

[redsniper]

恭喜发财, apparently.

[An4ximandros]

Nónglì Xīnnián in Mandarin. Don't ask me how to pronounce that though!

[yuezhi]

better off sticking with greeting that's now mostly used overseas

[karajorma]

恭喜发财, apparently.

Kung Hei Fat Choi? (well that's what Google claims is the English translation  ). I think it is a wish for fortune and prosperity but it's not one I've heard being used much.

Nónglì Xīnnián in Mandarin. Don't ask me how to pronounce that though!

I think that is more the description of what day it is. It would be like saying "Solar Calendar New Year!" on January 1st.

I'm currently chilling in a cafe in Yunnan Province and the phrases used around here are 春节快乐 (Chun Jie Kuai Le) or 春年快乐 (Chun Nian Kuai Le) both of which wish you a Happy Spring Festival (The better translation for Chinese New Year). You can also get away with the more general 新年快乐 (xin nian kuai le) which just means Happy New Year (but is also used on Jan 1st).



I'll point out that Chinese New Year is seriously ****ing crazy here in mainland China. A former colleague once referred to it as "National Try To Kill Yourself With Fireworks Week". At 12 last night it sounded like a war had started!

[SypheDMar]

恭喜发财, apparently.

Kung Hei Fat Choi? (well that's what Google claims is the English translation  ). I think it is a wish for fortune and prosperity but it's not one I've heard being used much.

I hear this a lot myself, actually. Both in Cantonese and Mandarin. The English translation on Google is the Cantonese romanization of the phrase. Folks around me usually say "恭喜发财, 新年快乐!"

I'll point out that Chinese New Year is seriously ****ing crazy here in mainland China. A former colleague once referred to it as "National Try To Kill Yourself With Fireworks Week". At 12 last night it sounded like a war had started!

xD Every Chinese person pisses me off when they make fun of Disney's fireworks. Never take a Chinese person to Disneyland or Disney World. Especially not on a date.

[Pred the Penguin]

In Taiwan for Mandarin it's 恭喜發財 ("Wish you prosperity and fortune" is as good as any translation I think.) or 新年快樂 (Simple "Happy New Year") or any combination of the two terms, written out in traditional Chinese of course. Don't know about other dialects though.

[Scourge of Ages]

Argh, I thought we had a couple of weeks left before this. At work we kind of depend on getting (prompt) shipments from Chinese and Taiwanese factories, and when they shut down for New Year it kind of hits us hard.

Although year of the rat was a good one.

[redsniper]

I just pulled it off wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year#Greetings

Kung Hii Fatt Choi, which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous".

[el_magnifico]

I'll point out that Chinese New Year is seriously ****ing crazy here in mainland China. A former colleague once referred to it as "National Try To Kill Yourself With Fireworks Week". At 12 last night it sounded like a war had started!

Well, they invented those things, I wouldn't expect any less.
I'm sure it's wonderful to be there to watch the fireworks.

EDIT:

Argh, I thought we had a couple of weeks left before this. At work we kind of depend on getting (prompt) shipments from Chinese and Taiwanese factories, and when they shut down for New Year it kind of hits us hard.

Although year of the rat was a good one.

Isn't the Year of the Snake supposed to bring prosperity?

[karajorma]

It's wonderful to watch the fireworks, it's less wonderful to see one bounce off the roof and land next to you while you're drinking in a bar. That's exactly what happened to the guy next to me, he got about 3 seconds to shoo it away before it went bang.

I hear this a lot myself, actually. Both in Cantonese and Mandarin. The English translation on Google is the Cantonese romanization of the phrase. Folks around me usually say "恭喜发财, 新年快乐!"

I've heard the second half a lot but despite getting tonnes of messages from my students on QQ, I've never received the first. Maybe they think I'm rich enough already.

[Veers]

Noone on QQ is actually talking to me right now.. for obvious reasons. But overall. Mostly uneventful here in my section of Aus. Work was overrun with people of Asian background, which is great because they have been really nice to have around instead of the usual d*cks we normally get.

Exactly.. how bad do they think the Disney fireworks are?, I'm not a major fan of fireworks. But the Disney ones I saw several years ago were fairly.. average. (Translation: Were rather good)

[karajorma]

The problem with Disney, I guess, is that it's just in one direction. On Chinese New Year's you are surrounded.

[Pred the Penguin]

It's wonderful to watch the fireworks, it's less wonderful to see one bounce off the roof and land next to you while you're drinking in a bar. That's exactly what happened to the guy next to me, he got about 3 seconds to shoo it away before it went bang.

I hear this a lot myself, actually. Both in Cantonese and Mandarin. The English translation on Google is the Cantonese romanization of the phrase. Folks around me usually say "恭喜发财, 新年快乐!"

I've heard the second half a lot but despite getting tonnes of messages from my students on QQ, I've never received the first. Maybe they think I'm rich enough already.

The term is probably just starting to phase out. I completely forgot to use it myself, and my family is no where near financially stable.

[Colonol Dekker]

Happy new year..... Year of the.............



[attachment deleted by a basterd]

[SypheDMar]

Exactly.. how bad do they think the Disney fireworks are?, I'm not a major fan of fireworks. But the Disney ones I saw several years ago were fairly.. average. (Translation: Were rather good)

From what I remembered when I took my girlfriend there last winter, utter (disappointing and uneventful) crap. I was wowed, so blargh.