新年

• Pinyin: xīn nián
• Hanzi breakdown: 新 = 亲 (related, phonetic) + 斤 (axe); 年 = originally depicted a harvest (person carrying grain)

Meaning

New Year. Refers to the start of a new year, both the Western New Year (1 January) and, in context, the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival).

Used in greetings and holiday talk year-round. The phrase 新年快乐 (Happy New Year) is one of the most common festive expressions in Chinese.

Examples

1. 新年快乐！ Happy New Year!
2. 我们全家一起过新年。 Our whole family celebrates the New Year together.
3. 新年的时候我想回家看爸爸妈妈。 For the New Year I want to go home and see my mum and dad.

Usage Guide

Context: holidays, everyday

Tone: festive

Do Say

• 新年快乐！(Happy New Year!)
• 新年的时候你回家吗？(Are you going home for the New Year?)

Don't Say

• 用'新年'代替'春节'来专指中国农历新年。(Don't use 新年 as a precise substitute for 春节 when referring specifically to the Lunar New Year festival)

Origin & History

新 means 'new' and 年 means 'year'. Together they form a compound noun meaning the new year.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal