Chinese New Year wishes are short, warm blessings you send to family, friends and colleagues around the festival, and for the Year of the Goat the easiest ones to write are “Happy Chinese New Year”, “Gong Xi Fa Cai 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ fācái)” and “Wishing you good health and a peaceful Goat year”. Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, 6 February 2027, with the reunion dinner on the evening of Friday, 5 February, so most people will be sending messages in the days before that weekend.
This page is for the messages themselves. Below you will find ready-to-send wishes sorted by who you are writing to, with Mandarin (characters, pinyin and meaning) and a simple Malay line where it fits. Every wish is kept short on purpose, so you can paste it into WhatsApp, a card or an angpao note and add a name. If you want the full meaning of each classic phrase, I have kept that in a separate list in my Chinese New Year greetings guide, so I will not repeat it here.
I should be honest about one thing at the start. A wish is not a feng shui treatment, and it does not change anyone’s fortune. In my practice I treat the custom as an act of care: you are telling someone that you thought of them at the turn of the year. That is what makes a plain message land well.
Goat Year Phrases and the Pun on 羊
In 2027 the zodiac animal is the Goat 羊 (yáng), which some families also translate as Sheep or Ram. The year is 丁未 (Dīng Wèi), the Fire Goat. If you would like your message to feel specific to the year, these are the phrases I reach for:
- 三阳开泰 (sān yáng kāi tài): “Three yang bring about prosperity.” This is the best known Goat year blessing.
- 羊年大吉 (yángnián dàjí): “Great fortune in the Year of the Goat.”
- 吉祥如意 (jíxiáng rúyì): “Auspicious, and may all go as you wish.” This works in any year.
- 羊羊得意 (yáng yáng déyì): “Goats in good spirits”, a playful line you will see on cards in Goat years.
About the pun, to explain it honestly: 阳 (yáng, the bright, active principle) and 羊 (yáng, goat) sound identical in Mandarin, so 三阳开泰 is read as “three goats bring prosperity” in a Goat year. The phrase itself is much older than the zodiac joke. It comes from the hexagram Tai 泰 in the Yijing, where three yang lines rise from below, and it was traditionally used for the turn from winter to spring. The goat reading is a popular play on sound, not the original meaning, and 羊羊得意 is purely a festive pun. I find the pun charming, and it is harmless, as long as you do not present it as ancient doctrine.
For the character of the year itself, see my notes on Year of the Goat 2027. I read it as a year of warmth, relationships and care, and the wishes below lean that way.
Wishes for Family: Elders, Parents-in-Law and Your Partner
For grandparents, parents and elders
Wishes to elders traditionally centre on health and long life, and they are given with respect, ideally in person or by voice call if you can.
Happy Chinese New Year, Ah Ma and Ah Gong. Wishing you good health, good appetite and many peaceful days in the Goat year.
Dear Mum and Dad, thank you for everything you do for us. May this year bring you health, laughter and a full table.
福如东海，寿比南山。(Fú rú dōnghǎi, shòu bǐ nánshān.) “May your fortune be as wide as the eastern sea and your life as long as the southern mountain.” A classic blessing for elders.
身体健康，万事如意。(Shēntǐ jiànkāng, wànshì rúyì.) “Good health, and may everything go as you wish.”
Malay: Selamat Tahun Baru Cina. Semoga sentiasa sihat dan gembira.
For parents-in-law
Keep the tone respectful and slightly formal. Naming both of them and thanking them for the reunion meal is a kind touch.
Dear Mum and Dad, Happy Chinese New Year. Thank you for welcoming me into the family. Wishing you both good health and a joyful Goat year.
阖家平安，岁岁平安。(Héjiā píng’ān, suìsuì píng’ān.) “Peace for the whole household, year after year.” The second half plays on 岁 (year) and 碎 (to shatter), which is why it is also said when something small breaks at New Year.
Malay: Selamat Tahun Baru Cina kepada Mama dan Papa sekeluarga.
For your husband, wife or partner
Happy Chinese New Year, my love. Thank you for another year of looking after each other. Here is to a warm and gentle Goat year together.
新年快乐，有你真好。(Xīnnián kuàilè, yǒu nǐ zhēn hǎo.) “Happy New Year, I am glad to have you.”
心想事成，平安喜乐。(Xīn xiǎng shì chéng, píng’ān xǐlè.) “May what is in your heart come true, with peace and joy.”
May our home stay full of good food, good company and good rest this year.
Wishes for Friends, Teachers and Children
For friends
Friends allow the warmest and most casual wording, and it is fine to mix English, Malay and Chinese the way we do every day in Malaysia.
Gong Xi Fa Cai! Hope the Goat year brings you good health, good makan and plenty of time with people you love.
Happy CNY! Can’t wait to catch up over reunion leftovers. Wishing you a smooth and happy year.
新年快乐，万事如意！(Xīnnián kuàilè, wànshì rúyì!) “Happy New Year, may all go as you wish.”
恭喜发财，红包拿来！(Gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo ná lái!) “Gong Xi Fa Cai, hand over the angpao!” This is only for close friends who enjoy a joke.
Malay: Gong Xi Fa Cai! Selamat Tahun Baru Cina, semoga tahun ini penuh rezeki dan kegembiraan.
For teachers and mentors
Dear Teacher, Happy Chinese New Year. Thank you for your patience and guidance. Wishing you good health and a restful break.
桃李满天下，身体健康。(Táolǐ mǎn tiānxià, shēntǐ jiànkāng.) “May your students be everywhere, and may you keep well.” 桃李 (peach and plum) is the traditional image for a teacher’s students.
Malay: Selamat Tahun Baru Cina, cikgu. Terima kasih atas bimbingan cikgu.
For children and students
Children’s wishes are cheerful and simple, and they are usually the ones paired with angpao.
Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing you good health, good grades and lots of fun in the Goat year.
学业进步，健康成长。(Xuéyè jìnbù, jiànkāng chéngzhǎng.) “May your studies progress and may you grow up healthy.”
天天开心，快高长大。(Tiāntiān kāixīn, kuài gāo zhǎngdà.) “Be happy every day and grow tall.” Families often say this to the little ones.
Wishes for Your Boss, Colleagues, Clients and Business Partners
Workplace wishes should be polite, warm and a little less personal. Skip the jokes unless you know the person well, and always use a proper name.
For your boss and colleagues
Dear Boss, Happy Chinese New Year. Thank you for your support this past year. Wishing you good health and a prosperous Goat year.
步步高升，事事顺利。(Bùbù gāoshēng, shìshì shùnlì.) “May you rise step by step, with every matter going smoothly.”
Happy CNY, team! Thank you for working so well together. Wishing everyone a good rest and a smooth year ahead.
Malay: Selamat Tahun Baru Cina kepada semua. Semoga tahun ini lebih baik untuk kita bersama.
For clients and business partners
Dear [Name], Happy Chinese New Year. Thank you for your trust in us. We look forward to working together again in the Goat year.
生意兴隆，财源广进。(Shēngyì xīnglóng, cáiyuán guǎngjìn.) “May business flourish and wealth come from many directions.” The standard business blessing.
Wishing you and your team good health and steady growth in the Year of the Goat.
A few tips for business messages:
- Use the client’s name and company, not a mass “Dear all”, where you can.
- Keep it to three or four lines at most. A short, personal note beats a long brochure of greetings.
- Do not combine the greeting with a sales pitch or a promotion. The festival is about the relationship.
- Send it before the office closes for the holiday, or on the first working day back. Many Malaysian businesses also hold their opening rituals around Day 5, which is Wednesday, 10 February 2027, so a wish landing that week is still timely.
- If your client celebrates a different festival, a neutral line such as “Season’s greetings” is perfectly acceptable. Malaysians are used to being greeted warmly across all communities.
Gentle Wishes for Anyone Having a Hard Year
Not everyone feels like celebrating. Someone may have lost a family member, been through illness, lost work or ended a relationship. A loud “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” can feel tone-deaf, and in some communities a family in mourning does not take part in the festivities, though customs about this differ between families and dialect groups. If you are unsure, ask an elder relative rather than guess.
For these people I send something quiet and sincere, and I do not promise that next year will be better.
I’m thinking of you this New Year. No need to reply. I’m here whenever you want company.
Wishing you peace and gentle days in the year ahead. Let me know if I can bring over some food.
愿你平安，慢慢来。(Yuàn nǐ píng’ān, mànmàn lái.) “May you be safe and well, and take it slowly.”
Malay: Semoga anda tenang dan kuat. Saya ada di sini jika perlukan teman.
A good rule is to leave out red-themed stickers and fireworks in the same message, and to offer something practical, such as a meal or a visit, instead of a long speech. For someone who is bereaved, a simple call matters more than a clever phrase.
Dos and Don’ts for Writing CNY Wishes
Classical custom pays attention to wording at New Year, because what you say is traditionally thought to set the tone of the year. I treat this as courtesy and good manners rather than superstition, and the reasoning behind each point is simple.
Do:
- Keep the language positive and about the future: health, peace, harmony, growth.
- Greet elders first, and greet them by title or name.
- Address the person by name. A message with their name reads as a message, not a broadcast.
- Keep angpao notes short and positive. Many families write nothing on the red packet itself, so put a short line on a small card or in your message instead. Amounts and etiquette are covered in my angpao guide.
Don’t:
- Avoid the number four. 四 (sì) sounds like 死 (sǐ, death), so I would not write “4 you” jokes, a “4-line poem” or an amount with a four in it.
- Avoid negative words even in a hopeful sentence. “May you never be sick or poor” puts 病 and 穷 on the page, so say “good health and plenty” instead.
- Avoid words that suggest breaking, losing, ending or finishing, such as 破 (broken) and 输 (to lose), in the first days of the year.
- Do not copy a message to a group and forget to change the name or the relationship.
- Do not pressure anyone for an angpao in writing, unless they are close friends in on the joke.
For the wider list of customs to watch at New Year, my guide to Chinese New Year taboos goes into the reasons.
When and How to Send Your Wishes
Timing. Because Chinese New Year 2027 is on a Saturday, I suggest sending written wishes to colleagues and clients on Thursday or Friday, 4 or 5 February, before people travel and before the office closes. For family, the traditional moment is the reunion dinner on Friday, 5 February, and New Year’s Day itself on Saturday, 6 February. A message early on Day 1 is a lovely way to start. In Malaysian practice, you can keep greeting people through the festival, up to Chap Goh Mei on Saturday, 20 February. See the Chinese New Year 2027 guide for the full 15-day timeline.
Medium. A voice call or visit is best for elders and parents-in-law. A personal WhatsApp message works for friends and most colleagues. A card or short email suits clients. Avoid forwarding chain greetings with animated fireworks to people you rarely speak to.
Replying. If someone sends you “Gong Xi Fa Cai”, a short “Gong Xi Gong Xi” or “Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family too” is enough. My notes on what Gong Xi Fa Cai means cover the usual replies.
Dialect variants. Malaysian Chinese communities greet in different languages, and there is no single correct romanisation. The spellings below are rough and are written as they are commonly heard, not in any official system:
| Language | Gong Xi Fa Cai (rough spelling) |
|---|---|
| Mandarin | Gōngxǐ fācái |
| Cantonese | Gung hei fat choy |
| Hokkien | Kiong hee huat chye |
| Hakka and Teochew | Similar-sounding forms, spelled many ways |
If you are not sure how a relative says it, copy what you hear them say at the dinner table, because that is the right form for your family.
Common Questions
What is the simplest message to send if I don’t know what to write? “Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing you and your family good health and happiness in the Year of the Goat.” It suits almost everyone, and you can add their name and one personal line.
Do I say “Gong Xi Fa Cai” to everyone? Mostly yes, but it speaks of wealth, so it suits friends, colleagues and business contacts best. With elders, add a health or peace blessing, and with a bereaved friend, skip it and write something quiet.
Can I send wishes in English only? Yes. In Malaysia a sincere English message is welcome, and mixing in a Chinese or Malay phrase makes it warmer. Use a short Malay line such as “Selamat Tahun Baru Cina” for neighbours and colleagues of other communities.
Are the wishes the same in a Fire Goat year as in other years? Almost all of them are the same. The extra touches are the Goat phrases, 三阳开泰 and 羊年大吉, and I wouldn’t use them every time, since a plain “Happy New Year” is just as good.
Is it bad luck to send wishes late? I would not worry. Greetings are traditionally exchanged across the whole festival until Chap Goh Mei, and a late, sincere message is better than none.
Key Takeaways
- Chinese New Year 2027 is Saturday, 6 February 2027, with the reunion dinner on Friday, 5 February. Send written wishes on 4 or 5 February, or early on Day 1.
- Keep every wish short, positive and personal: health, peace, harmony and growth, with the person’s name.
- Goat year phrases such as 三阳开泰 and 羊年大吉 are fun and fit the year. The 羊 pun is a modern play on sound, not an ancient prophecy.
- Match the tone to the person: respectful for elders, businesslike for clients, playful for friends, quiet and sincere for anyone having a hard year.
- Avoid the number four and negative words, and keep angpao notes brief and kind.
- Dialect spellings such as “Kiong hee huat chye” are rough, so follow how your own family says it.
If you would like personalised guidance for your home or your BaZi in the Goat year, book a house feng shui consultation with Master Yap.
