nciku Team Blog

The Year of the Rabbit is coming, and we’re sure that a lot of nciku users will be spending the New Year holidays with your Chinese friends, colleagues or partner’s families. Here are a few phrases you can use over the holiday:

1. 祝您新年快乐幸福，大吉大利。
   Zhù nín xīnniánkuàilè xìngfú, dà jí dà lì.
   I wish you happiness, luck and wealth in the new year.
2. 我属兔，今年是我的本命年。
   Wǒ shǔ tù, jīnnián shì wǒ de běnmìngnián.
   My Chinese zodiac sign is the rabbit, so this is my zodiac animal year.
3. 谢谢您请我到您家过春节。
   Xièxie nín qǐng wǒ dào nín jiā guòchūnjié.
   Thank you for inviting me to your home over Chinese New Year.
4. 这是我第一次和中国人一起过春节，我非常高兴。
   Zhè shì wǒ dìyīcì hé zhōngguórén yìqǐ guò chūnjié, wǒ fēicháng gāoxìng.
   This is the first time I’ve spent Spring Festival with Chinese people, I’m really happy.
5. 我喜欢你的家乡，它和北京那样拥挤的大城市截然不同。
   Wǒ xǐhuan nǐ de jiāxiāng, tā hé Běijīng nàyàng yōngjǐ de dà chéngshì jiérán bùtóng.
   I love your hometown, it’s so different from crowded cities like Beijing.
6. 今年的年夜饭我们在饭店吃。
   Jīnnián de niányèfàn wǒmen zài fàndiàn chī.
   This year we’ll eat our New Year’s Eve meal at a restaurant.
7. 不好意思，我不能喝白酒——我是穆斯林，我信仰的宗教不允许喝酒。
   Bùhǎoyìsī, wǒ bùnéng hē báijiǔ - wǒ shì mùsīlín, wǒ xìnyǎng de zōngjiào bù yǔnxǔ hē jiǔ.
   Sorry, I can’t drink baijiu - I’m Muslim and my religion forbids alcohol.
8. 我们买了很多烟花爆竹，我们准备过年的时候放。
   Wǒmen mǎile hěnduō yānhuābàozhú, wǒmen zhǔnbèi guònián de shíhou fàng.
   We bought a lot of fireworks, we’ll set them off over the New Year’s holiday.
9. 放鞭炮的时候小心点儿。
   Fàngbiānpào de shíhou xiǎoxīn diǎner.
   Be careful when you’re setting off firecrackers.
10. 我昨天整晚都没睡，外面人们一直在放炮，直到早上五点。
    Wǒ zuótiān zhěngwǎn dōu méi shuì, wàimiàn rénmen yìzhí zài fàngpào, zhídào zǎoshang wǔdiǎn.
    I didn’t sleep at all last night, people were setting off firecrackers outside my window until 5 am.

Got any other good Chinese expressions to use over the Lunar New Year? Let us know in the comments!

The nciku staff will be on holiday until Wednesday the 9th of February, but you can still send an email to the help [at] nciku [dot] com email address if there’s anything you think we should know.

祝你们春节快乐！

Read more from our “10 things” series.