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Chinese New Year Messages for Clients and Partners
A good Chinese New Year message to a client wishes them a happy new year and a strong year for their business. It also wishes them good health and thanks them. Add a simple greeting such as 新年快乐 (Happy New Year) or 恭喜发财 (wishing you wealth), spelled right. Send it a few days before the holiday. Say Lunar New Year if you aren't sure the client is Chinese.
Many clients in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia see the Spring Festival as the biggest holiday of the year. So do Chinese families all over the world. A partner who notices the date and writes a good note shows respect. It says you value the person, not just the account.
What makes it land is getting the basics right. Use a greeting you have checked. Wish them health and wealth, and don't make up customs. Keep the note warm and short. One honest line of thanks for the year matters more than a fancy phrase.
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Free, no signup. The example is filled in: press the button, then replace it with your own situation. In Capstone, a message like it is written for each person you know when their check-in is due.
11 examples to copy
One message is easy. Hundreds of people, all year, is the hard part. Capstone Outreach puts everyone you know on a rhythm you pick, from weekly to every three months. When someone is due, a message like these is already written in your voice from your history with them. You approve it, and it goes from your own email or phone. See how it works.
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Everyone on a rhythm. Who is due, and when. Recorded in the app on a demo account.
1. Long-term client in China or Hong Kong (email)
Subject: 新年快乐, [Name], and thank you for this year
Why it works: It opens and closes with correct greetings, which shows respect. The thanks in the middle keeps it personal.
2. Bilingual text to a client you already message (text)
Why it works: A short note in two languages suits a chat app. It shows care without reaching too far in a language you may not speak.
3. Lunar New Year email to a client of unknown heritage (email)
Subject: Happy Lunar New Year, [Name]
Why it works: Lunar New Year fits everyone. Some clients mark it as Seollal, Tết or another custom, not Chinese New Year.
4. Wishing a client's business success (email)
Subject: Wishing [Company] a prosperous new year
Why it works: A classic business wish, explained in English, links the holiday to the client's real plans for the year.
5. Supplier or manufacturing partner before the holiday closure (email)
Subject: Happy New Year, and enjoy the holiday
Why it works: Telling a partner you've planned around the closure is the most useful kindness you can offer. It makes the greeting feel real.
6. Note with a gift of mandarin oranges or tea (card)
Why it works: Mandarin oranges and good tea are classic gifts that people like. A short handwritten wish is all the card needs.
7. Chinese American client who celebrates with family (email)
Subject: Happy New Year to you and your family
Why it works: You remember how the client really celebrates. That makes the greeting about them, not the holiday in general.
8. Cantonese-speaking client in Hong Kong or Guangdong (text)
Why it works: Using the Cantonese form for a Cantonese speaker shows you paid attention to who they are.
9. Greeting sent during the festival, after the first day (email)
Subject: Belated Happy New Year, [Name]
Why it works: Greetings are welcome all through the festival. A late note that admits the timing still lands well.
10. Group greeting to a client's team (email)
Subject: Happy New Year to the [Company] team
Why it works: Thanking the whole team honors the people who do the daily work. They remember who wished them well.
11. Client you haven't worked with recently, no ask (email)
Subject: Thinking of you this Lunar New Year
Why it works: The holiday is an easy, no-pressure reason to reach a past client. A shared memory makes it easy for them to reply.
Sending these to more than a few people? See how people keep track of who to follow up with, and when: what a personal CRM does and the best personal CRMs, compared.
When to send it
- The date moves each year. It falls between late January and mid-February. Check it early, because many offices close for several days around it. This is true in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia.
- Send emails two to five days before New Year's Eve. That way they arrive before your client leaves for the holiday.
- Texts to clients you message often can go on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.
- Greetings are still welcome during the 15 days of the festival. It ends with the Lantern Festival. A late note in that window is fine.
- If you work with suppliers or factories, send schedule details at least two weeks before the holiday. Keep them out of the greeting.
Subject lines
- Happy Chinese New Year, [Name]
- Happy Lunar New Year, [Name]
- 新年快乐, [Name]
- Wishing you a prosperous new year
- Happy Year of the [animal]
- Wishing [Company] a prosperous new year
- Happy New Year to the [Company] team
- Gong hei fat choy, [Name]
- New year wishes for you and your family
- Thank you, and Happy Chinese New Year
- Belated Happy New Year, [Name]
- Thinking of you this Lunar New Year
- Health and happiness in the new year
- Happy Spring Festival
What to avoid
- Don't copy Chinese characters you can't check. Ask a colleague who speaks Chinese to confirm the greeting, or use the client's own past notes.
- Don't assume every Asian client marks Chinese New Year. Say 'Lunar New Year' or just 'Happy New Year' when you're unsure.
- Don't give gifts in sets of four, and don't give a clock. By custom, both are linked to death.
- Don't put money in a red envelope for a client. Red envelopes are for family, kids and staff. In business they can look like a bribe.
- Don't use the greeting to push an order, a deadline or a sale. Send business details in a new message.
- Don't use the wrong zodiac animal. Check which year is starting before you write it in.
After you send it
If the client replies, answer warmly. Keep business out of it until they're back from the holiday. If there's no reply, that's normal. Many people travel or stay with family for the whole week. Reach out about business a week after the holiday ends, once offices are open. After that, stay in touch every one to three months with something useful. Mark next year's date now so your greeting goes out on time.
Building the habit: how to keep in touch with contacts and what a personal CRM does.
Your client wrote back with good wishes. Now what? Capstone keeps their reply on one timeline with every email, call and note. Months from now, you will know just what you said and what they shared.
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A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best greeting message for customers?
The best greeting thanks the customer for something specific and wishes them well in a few short lines. For Chinese New Year, try 'Thank you for your trust this year. Wishing you health and prosperity in the new year. 新年快乐!' Use their name. Sign it yourself. Leave out any sales offer.
What is the best short message for Happy New Year?
Keep it to one or two lines: 'Happy New Year, [Name]! Wishing you health, happiness and a prosperous year ahead.' For Chinese New Year, add 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè). It means Happy New Year. Short notes work best by text or on a card. They still need the person's name.
How to wish luck for business?
Wish that their business grows and their plans go well. In Chinese, 生意兴隆 (shēngyì xīnglóng) means 'may your business prosper.' 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ fācái) wishes them wealth. In Cantonese, say gong hei fat choy. In English, try 'Wishing [Company] a prosperous year and every success with the new office.'
What are some good wishes for the Lunar New Year?
Good wishes focus on health, joy, family and wealth. Common ones are 新年快乐 (Happy New Year) and 身体健康 (good health). Others are 万事如意 (may everything go as you wish) and 恭喜发财 (wishing you wealth). In English, 'Wishing you and your family health, happiness and good fortune in the year ahead' covers them all.
Should I say Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year to a client?
Say Chinese New Year when you know the client is Chinese or marks it that way. Say Lunar New Year when you don't know. Korea marks the holiday as Seollal, and Vietnam marks it as Tết. Those clients may not want their own custom called Chinese. Lunar New Year is the safe, kind default.
When should I send a Chinese New Year message to clients?
Send it two to five days before New Year's Eve. Then it arrives before offices close for the holiday. Greetings still fit all through the 15-day festival. It ends with the Lantern Festival. Check the date each year. It moves between late January and mid-February.