Chúc mừng năm mới: Tết greetings and what they mean

Chúc mừng năm mới means "Happy New Year," and it's the greeting you'll hear everywhere during Tết. Say it roughly as "chook MUNG nahm MOY," and you can use it with anyone, from your neighbor to your boss to a stranger at the market.

Beyond that basic phrase, Vietnamese has a rich set of Tết wishes. People string several together, especially when greeting elders or giving lì xì, so learning a handful will make your greetings sound warm and natural.

Breaking down chúc mừng năm mới

• chúc means to wish
• mừng means to celebrate or be glad
• năm means year
• mới means new

So the phrase is literally "wishing celebration of the new year." You'll also see năm mới vui vẻ (a happy new year) in casual messages, and the formal, poetic cung chúc tân xuân (respectfully wishing you a new spring) on cards and banners. Tết marks the start of spring in the lunar calendar, which is why "spring" (xuân) appears in so many greetings.

The most common Tết wishes

These are the phrases you'll see on greeting cards, hear on TV and say during visits:

• An khang thịnh vượng ("ahn kahng tinh voo-ung"): peace, health and prosperity. One of the most popular four-word wishes.
• Vạn sự như ý ("vahn soo nyoo ee"): may everything go as you wish.
• Sức khỏe dồi dào ("sook kweh zoy zow" in the North): abundant health.
• Tấn tài tấn lộc: may wealth and good fortune keep coming.
• Phát tài phát lộc: may you prosper and have good fortune.
• Năm mới bình an: a peaceful new year.
• Gia đình hạnh phúc: a happy family.

Many of these are Sino-Vietnamese, which gives them a formal, traditional feel. They're perfect for cards, elders and business contacts.

Wishes for specific people

Vietnamese greetings adapt to who you're talking to, and choosing the right one shows thoughtfulness.

For grandparents and elders, health and long life come first. Try "Chúc ông bà sống lâu trăm tuổi" (wishing you a life of a hundred years) or "Chúc ông bà mạnh khỏe" (wishing you good health).

For children, the wishes focus on growing up well: "Chúc con hay ăn chóng lớn" (eat well and grow fast) for little ones, and "Chúc con học giỏi" (do well in school) for students.

For coworkers and business contacts, success and prosperity fit best: "Chúc anh/chị năm mới thành công" (wishing you success in the new year) or "Chúc làm ăn phát đạt" (may your business thrive).

For friends, people get playful. A popular joke wish is "Tiền vô như nước, tiền ra nhỏ giọt", meaning "may money pour in like water and leave only in drips." It usually gets a laugh.

How to build a full greeting

A typical spoken greeting has three parts: the greeting, the person, and one or two wishes. For example:

"Chúc mừng năm mới! Con chúc ông bà năm mới sức khỏe dồi dào, sống lâu trăm tuổi."

That means "Happy New Year! I wish you, Grandpa and Grandma, abundant health and a hundred years of life." Notice the speaker calls themselves con (child) when talking to grandparents. Vietnamese pronouns shift with age and relationship, so if you're unsure which to use, our guide to Vietnamese pronouns like anh, chị and em can help.

Regional notes

The same wishes are used across Vietnam, but pronunciation differs. In Northern speech, the "d" in dồi dào sounds like a "z"; in the South it sounds closer to a "y." Southern speakers also often use tui instead of tôi for "I" in casual speech. None of this changes the meaning, and people will understand either accent.

When and how to say it

Greetings start on New Year's Eve and peak on the first three days of Tết, when families visit relatives, then friends, then teachers and colleagues. The first visitor of the year is believed to set the tone for the household, which is why the first greeting matters so much. You can read more about that in our guide to xông đất, the first visitor of the year.

When greeting elders, it's polite to stand, smile and speak first. Children usually say their wishes before receiving lì xì, and adults often greet each other with a handshake or a small bow of the head.

If you only memorize one wish beyond the basic greeting, make it an khang thịnh vượng; it works for almost anyone and sounds wonderfully festive.