Hanzi Sheets
How to write 新年快乐 — "Happy New Year" in Chinese
新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) is how you say "happy new year" in Chinese. It is the all-purpose New Year greeting, used for both January 1 and Chinese New Year. Below is each character with its pinyin and meaning, plus a free tracing worksheet you can print in seconds.
新年快乐 character by character
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning in this phrase |
|---|---|---|
| 新 | xīn | new |
| 年 | nián | year |
| 快 | kuài | fast; happy |
| 乐 | lè | happy; joy |
| 新年快乐 | xīn nián kuài lè | happy new year |
Using 新年快乐
新年快乐 is the default New Year wish in Mandarin. It works for the calendar New Year on January 1 and for Chinese New Year (the Spring Festival), where it is often followed by 恭喜发财. Children can say it to parents, grandparents and teachers — it fits every relationship and every setting, from greeting cards to video calls.
The four characters are 新 (new), 年 (year) and 快乐 (happy) — literally “new year happy”. In Traditional Chinese the phrase is 新年快樂; only the last character changes. The easiest reply is to say 新年快乐 right back, or add 也 (yě, “also”): 也祝你新年快乐 — “Happy New Year to you too.”
Pre-filled with 新年快乐 in a tian grid with stroke-order strips. Add more words, pick a size, print.
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FAQ
Is 新年快乐 only for Chinese New Year?
No. People use it for both January 1 and the Spring Festival. Around Chinese New Year it is often paired with 恭喜发财 (“wishing you prosperity”); for the calendar New Year it usually stands alone.
How do you write 新年快乐 in Traditional Chinese?
新年快樂. Only 乐 changes — its Traditional form is 樂. The other three characters are written the same in both scripts.
Which character in 新年快乐 is hardest to write?
新 is the most complex of the four. Have your child trace it on its own first, then practice the full four-character phrase on a tian-grid sheet.