发财

• Pinyin: fā cái
• Hanzi breakdown: 发 = 弓 + 殳 — to release, erupt, grow; 财 = 贝 (shell/money radical, representing wealth) + 才 (talent/phonetic) — monetary talent, the capacity to generate and accumulate wealth

Meaning

To get rich; to make a fortune; to become wealthy. To acquire great wealth through business, opportunity, or favorable circumstances.

发财 is a deeply positive aspiration in Chinese culture, closely tied to luck, the New Year, and social ambition. The phrase 恭喜发财 is a traditional Chinese New Year greeting wishing the recipient wealth. In business, 发财 expresses commercial success; in social contexts, it can serve as a light-hearted toast or well-wish. Contrasts with 破财 (to lose money).

Examples

1. 他多年来辛苦经营，终于凭借过人的商业眼光在这次市场机遇中发了大财。 After years of hard work running his business, he finally made a fortune thanks to his sharp business instincts and this market opportunity.
2. 人们常说，投机取巧虽然可能一时发财，但长远来看终究难以维持稳定的财富积累。 People often say that cutting corners and playing the system might make you rich for a while, but in the long run it’s hard to sustain steady wealth accumulation.
3. 每逢春节，长辈总是向晚辈送上一声恭喜发财，传递着对新一年美好生活的真诚祝愿。 Every Spring Festival, elders always say “Wishing you prosperity” to the younger generation, conveying their sincere hopes for a better life in the new year.

Usage Guide

Context: business, culture, festivals, colloquial

Tone: celebratory

Do Say

• 恭喜发财，万事如意！新的一年里，愿您生意兴隆，阖家幸福，心想事成。(Wishing you prosperity and may everything go as you wish! In the new year, may your business flourish, your family be happy, and all your wishes come true.)
• 这位企业家凭借对新兴市场趋势的精准判断，在短短数年间便完成了从普通创业者到行业领军人物的跨越，可谓真正意义上的发财致富。(By accurately anticipating emerging market trends, this entrepreneur achieved the leap from an ordinary start-up founder to an industry leader in just a few years — a genuinely meaningful case of building wealth through legitimate means.)

Don't Say

• 我想发财所以随便投资 — 发财 as the sole motivation for reckless investment is widely regarded as naive and irresponsible; in formal contexts say 我希望通过审慎的投资实现财务增长 to convey the same aspiration with appropriate seriousness

Origin & History

发 (to develop/emerge/grow) + 财 (wealth/money) — wealth emerging, growing, and accumulating

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal