What to Say to Gong Hey Fat Choy (恭禧發財)?
Hong Bao Na Lai!
What?
When people greet you with Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese) or Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) during the Chinese New Year, what do you say?
Simply respond with the same phrase they used. It means "Wishing you a prosperous year, too."
Or, to a close friend or colleague you can say, "Hong Bao Na Lai," (紅包拿來) which is "May I have the red envelope, please!"
How do you write Hong Bao Na Lai in Chinese?
Traditional Chinese: 紅包拿來; Simplified: 红包拿来.
Hong Bao (紅包) is a red envelope. Red is the luckiest color in China. During Chinese New Year, Chinese parents give cash gifts in red envelopes to their children. So hong bao is lucky money or cash gift. It can also be used to mean bribe money.
Na Lei (拿來) means "Bring it to me."
So here's your Chinese lesson of the day:
Person A: Gong Xi Fa Cai. May you become rich!
Person B: Hong Bao Na Lei. Red envelope, please. Let me start to become rich by getting money from you.