29 Authentic Ways to Say Good Luck in Chinese

Luck is a huge part of Chinese culture. So it may come as no surprise that there are many different ways to wish someone “good luck” in Chinese.

Whether someone just started a new job, is getting married or has an exam coming up, there are distinct phrases you can use to wish them good fortune (while impressing them with your native-sounding language skills).

Here are 29 ways to say good luck in Chinese, from everyday events to big life changes.

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Good Luck in Chinese for Everyday Situations

祝你好运 — Wishing you good luck

Pinyin: zhù nǐ hǎo yùn

To reiterate, the way you say good luck in Chinese depends on the context and audience, but this is the literal equivalent of the Western idea of wishing someone good luck.

The verb 祝 means “to wish,” 你 means “you,” 好 is “good” and 运 is “luck.”

This is as straightforward as it gets, but it’s not used very often because it sounds “too translated.” Native Chinese speakers prefer to use phrases that cater to specific situations in order to wish someone luck.

好好儿考啊 — Have a good exam

Pinyin: hǎo hǎor kǎo a

Use this phrase for someone to wish someone luck on an upcoming test or exam.

好好儿干啊 — Do well on this task/job

Pinyin: hǎo hǎor gàn a

If someone has a big task, project or job that needs to get done, use this phrase to wish them luck.

加油 — Go for it!

Pinyin: jiā yóu

This is a Chinese expression that you’ll hear a lot!

加油, which literally means “add oil,” is a figurative expression that best translates to “Come on, let’s go!” You can also use it to encourage someone when they’re going through a tough time. 

我为你加油  — I’m cheering for you

Pinyin: wǒ wèi nǐ jiā yóu

This is a variation of 加油, and it’s most common in competitive situations. Another alternative is 我给你加油 — I will cheer for you.

Chinese Blessings for Newlyweds

祝你们幸福 — I wish you happiness

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men xìng fú

While you don’t exactly want to say “good luck,” you can use this phrase to wish a newly married couple well.

祝你们百年好合 — I wish you a long life together

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men bǎi nián hǎo hé

Another saying for newlyweds, this one is literally “I wish you all the best for the next 100 years together.” You can drop the 祝你们 at the beginning if you want.

祝你们幸福美满 — I wish you happiness and bliss

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men xìng fú měi mǎn

You can use this phrase for the happy couple as well. And again, you can leave out the 祝你们 here if you want, since it’s implied that you’re extending the wish to the couple.

祝你们新婚愉快 — I wish you a happy marriage/wedding

Pinyin: zhù nǐ men xīn hūn yú kuài

Another general blessing for a just-married couple. Once more, you can drop 祝你们 since this is also an expression on its own.

白头偕老 — May you grow old together

Pinyin: bái tóu xié lǎo

The literal meaning of this one is “Live together until your hair goes white with old age.” It’s best to use this phrase if you’re close to the couple.

多子多孙 — May you have many children and grandchildren

Pinyin: duō zi duō sūn

This phrase is also better if you know the couple well. You’d use it to wish them a big, happy family.

举案齐眉 — May you have mutual respect in marriage

Pinyin: jǔ àn qí méi

A phrase that’s explicitly about marriage, this one literally means “Lift the tray to eyebrow level.”

互敬互爱  — May you have mutual respect and love

Pinyin: hù jìng hù ài

This is a well-meaning phrase that sounds perfect for a wedding card.

激情永在 — May you have everlasting passion

Pinyin: jī qíng yǒng zài

Another one that’s probably best if you know the couple well, it literally means, “Passion is always there.”

早生贵子 — May you give birth to a child soon

Pinyin: zǎo shēng guì zǐ

The original meaning was actually about giving birth to a son, so it’s best to reserve this wedding wish for traditional Chinese couples and families.

Birthday Wishes in Chinese

生日快乐 — Happy birthday

Pinyin: shēng rì kuài lè

Birthdays are another occasion when you might wish someone good fortune. In English we’d simply say “happy birthday,” but in Chinese, it’s very common to hear this as 祝你生日快乐 (literally “I wish you a happy birthday”).

希望你健康快乐地长大 — I hope you grow up happy and healthy

Pinyin: xī wàng nǐ jiàn kāng kuài lè dì zhǎng dà

Use this phrase to express birthday wishes for a child.

祝你天天快乐，心想事成 — Wishing you daily joy and success

Pinyin: zhù nǐ tiān tiān kuài lè, xīn xiǎng shì chéng

Literally, this means “I wish that you’re happy every day and that all your wishes come true.” This general birthday wish can be used for acquaintances and friends.

长命百岁 — May you live for 100 years

Pinyin: cháng mìng bǎi suì

This phrase is great to say to an elder on their birthday.

福如东海，寿比南山 — May you have a long life and endless blessings

Pinyin: fú rú dōng hǎi, shòu bǐ nán shān

This birthday saying is very poetic and very popular among older generations. It translates to: “May your fortune be as boundless as the Eastern Sea, and may you live as long as the Southern Mountain.” 

Chinese Wishes for Success, Prosperity and Fortune

财源广进 — May you have abundant wealth

Pinyin: cái yuán guǎng jìn

Weddings and birthdays aren’t the only times you can send good wishes! If a friend just got hired, use this phrase to wish them luck at the new job. Its full meaning is: “May you have an abundant source of income, wealth and fortune.” 

平步青云 — May you get promoted quickly

Pinyin: píng bù qīng yún

Literally “skyrocket,” this is another good one for wishing someone success at a new job.

马到成功 — May you immediately meet with success

Pinyin: mǎ dào chéng gōng

This is another way to wish someone quick success with their new career.  

步步高升 — May you continuously get promoted

Pinyin: bù bù gāo shēng

And one more for new jobs, this literally says, “Rise step by step.“

恭喜发财 — May you be prosperous

Pinyin: gōng xǐ fā cái

This phrase is used to mean “Happy New Year!” What you’d normally hear and say during Chinese New Year can also be used in a congratulatory sense, wishing someone luck in any future endeavor.

身体健康 — I wish you good health

Pinyin: shēn tǐ jiàn kāng

You can use this phrase, which literally means “healthy body,” during Chinese New Year or any other celebration.

祝福你 — Bless you

Pinyin: zhù fú nǐ

To wish someone happiness in everyday situations, you can say, “Bless you,” although this shouldn’t be confused with how English speakers use that phrase after someone sneezes. The literal translation is, “I wish happiness/good fortune on you.“

保重 — Take care

Pinyin: bǎo zhòng

This phrase can be used if you’re bidding someone adieu.

一路顺风 — Bon voyage

Pinyin: yí lù shùn fēng

This is also a farewell phrase that literally means “May the wind be with you!“

 

Now you’ll sound like a native when you wish people luck using any of these expressions!

So, study the list above and you’ll be on your way to holding your own in Chinese conversations.

To pick up more Mandarin phrases like this, you can try reading Chinese blogs or watching videos featuring native Mandarin speakers, like those on YouTube or FluentU.

我为你加油！

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)