# Gung Ho (Hei) Fat Choy (Choi)



## SwissPete

Can somebody provide the Chinese characters for "Gung Ho Fat Choy"? Thank you, and ... Gung Ho Fat Choy!


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## kenny4528

SwissPete said:


> Can somebody provide the Chinese characters for "Gung Ho Fat Choy"? Thank you, and ... Gung Ho Fat Choy!


H, Swiss

It seems to me to mean *恭賀發財* in Chinese characters.


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## SwissPete

Thanks, Kenny.


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## samanthalee

kenny4528 said:


> It seems to me to mean *恭賀新禧* in Chinese characters.


Actually it is the Cantonese pronunciation of 恭 喜 發 財


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## kenny4528

samanthalee said:


> Actually it is the Cantonese pronunciation of 恭 喜 發 財


 
Sorry, Swiss. samanthale's version is right.


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## Kwunlam

But we do not say "ho", but "hei" for the second word.

"Gong Hei Fat Choi (or: Choy)" seems to be the commoner way of writing.


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## MarcB

How is the new year greeting pronounced in Mandarin?


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## SwissPete

Thank you, kenny4528, samanthalee, Kwunlam, MarcB, for your kind responses.


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## univerio

MarcB said:


> How is the new year greeting pronounced in Mandarin?


新年好
xin1 nian2 hao3

P.S. You should start a new thread if you want to ask another question.


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## Flaminius

Hello *univerio*,

Does your post mean 恭喜发财 is not a Mandarin new year's greeting (even when it is read gōngxĭfācái)?


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## Kwunlam

May I ask the people in different Chinese-regions, do you use 恭喜發財 more, or 新年快樂 more, or any other greeting phrases ?

In my experience in Hong Kong, local people use more 恭喜發財, and they will continue with 龍馬精神，身壯力健，財源廣進...


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## univerio

Flaminius said:


> Hello *univerio*,
> 
> Does your post mean 恭喜发财 is not a Mandarin new year's greeting (even when it is read gōngxĭfācái)?



It's not, in the sense that it's not really limited to New Year's (although it's certainly used very often during New Year's). I wouldn't say it's a greeting, because you wouldn't really go around saying it to strangers (新年好 would be okay, though, because it would be a universal greeting).


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## samanthalee

univerio said:


> I wouldn't say it's a greeting, because you wouldn't really go around saying it to strangers (新年好 would be okay, though, because it would be a universal greeting).



This is regional difference. We say 恭喜發財 to strangers too. And it's used exclusively during Lunar New Year.

Similar to Hong Kong but in slightly different order, we first say 新年快樂 then 恭喜發財, then 身體健康, 財源廣進, 龍馬精神. We never say 新年好 nor do we say 身壯力健.


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## Yvoone

*恭喜发财～～～But it seems you pronunce it in Guangdong accent   ?_?*


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## Kwunlam

Yvoone said:


> *恭喜发财～～～But it seems you pronunce it in Guangdong accent   ?_?*



I am not so sure, but I do think that some Western knows "Kung Hei Fat Choi" more than "Gongxifacai", just like they know "Dim Sum" more than "Dian Xin" 點心. Perhaps they learn it from some Hong Kong movies.


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## kareno999

Kwunlam said:


> May I ask the people in different Chinese-regions, do you use 恭喜發財 more, or 新年快樂 more, or any other greeting phrases ?
> 
> In my experience in Hong Kong, local people use more 恭喜發財, and they will continue with 龍馬精神，身壯力健，財源廣進...


I say 过年好


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## yesod

In northern China we seldom say 恭喜发财, but rather 新年快乐, 新年好 or 过年好. Some people who watch HK dramas a lot might use the former as new year's greeting though.


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