Here’s a Chinese song to get you in the Chinese New Year mood! May You Be Prosperous (恭喜发财) by Andy Lau (刘德华).
If you’ve been in China around the Chinese New Year, you’ve probably heard this one before, even if you don’t know what it’s called. You hear it in shops and restaurants, and it gets stuck in your head without you even knowing it.
Andy Lau is a singer and actor from Hong Kong (most people seem to think that he’s better at the acting than he is at singing), and this is one of the songs that has really gained him recognition in mainland China (it’s in Mandarin, and he often sings in Cantonese).
The video that goes along with the song is really funny, and the festive firecracker sounds and traditional Chinese instruments will really get you in the mood!
Here are the lyrics in Pinyin and traditional Chinese characters, as well as a rough English translation:
Happy Chinese New Year everybody!
wǒ gōngxǐ nǐ fācái, wo gōngxǐ nǐ jīngcǎi
我恭喜你发财 我恭喜你精彩
May you be prosperous, may you have excitement
zuìhǎode qǐng guòlái, bùhǎo de qǐng zǒukāi
最好的请过来 不好的请走开
invite the best people over, bad people stay away
lǐ duō rén bù guài
礼多人不怪
you can never be too courteous
wǒ zhù mǎn tiānxiàde nǚhái
我祝满天下的女孩
I hope that all the girls in the world
jià yīgè hǎo nánhái
嫁一个好男孩
can marry a good boy
liǎng xiǎo kǒu yǒngyuǎn zài yīqǐ
两小口永远在一块
and the two of them can live together forever
wǒ zhù mǎn tiānxiàde xiǎohái
我祝满天下的小孩
I hope all the boys in the world
cōngming shèngguò xiùcai
聪明胜过秀才
can be intelligent accomplished scholars
zhìshāng chōngmǎn nǐ nǎodài
智商充满你脑袋
with intelligence filling your brain
wǒ zhù zūnjìng de gūnǎinai
我祝尊敬的姑奶奶
I hope that my dear great aunt
sānshíliù quān de bǐsài
三十六圈的比赛
can run a 36 lap race
qì bù chuǎn miànróng bù gǎi
气不喘面容不改
without being out of breath or looking any different
wǒ zhù sān shūgōngde mǎimài
我祝三叔公的买卖
I hope my third uncle’s business
shēngyì yángmíngsìhǎi
生意扬名四海
will become famous all over the world
cáiyùn hēngtōng zhù háozhái
财运亨通住豪宅
with riches pouring in and living in a mansion
dà yáo dà bǎi, lǎotiān tì nǐ xiāozāi
大摇大摆 老天替你消灾
swaggering around, heaven with remove disasters
gōngxī fācái, yào hǎnde gòu háomài
恭喜 发财 要喊得够豪迈
may you be prosperous, shout it out heroically
CHORUS
wǒ zhù dàjiā xiào kǒu cháng kāi
我祝大家笑口常开
I hope everybody can smile all the time
yòng xīn bǎ ài qù guàngài
用心把爱去灌溉
and love generously
míngtiān ná wǒmen gèng lìhai
明天拿我们更厉害
Tomorrow we will be even better
wǒ zhù quán shìjiède wúnài
我祝全世界的无奈
I hope all the hopelessness in the world
pǎode bǐ nà hēi rén gèng kuài
跑得比那黑人更快
Will run away quicker than a black person (sorry about this line!!!)
suìsuìniánnián chū réncái
岁岁年年出人才
And that people of talent will emerge every year
CHORUS
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