A brand new year is now upon us. Are you ready to continue taking on the challenge of learning a foreign language, such as Mandarin Chinese? If so, congratulations on being inspired with this admirable ambition!
The word 贺 (hè) is an uncommon Chinese surname. As a verb, it means to congratulate. This word often appears in combination with another word.
祝 (zhù) means to wish. Therefore, 祝贺 (zhùhè) is to express good wishes and to congratulate.
庆贺 (qìnghè) is to celebrate.
贺礼 (hèlǐ) is a congratulations gift.
贺年 (hènián) is to extend a New Year greeting. 贺年片 (hèniánpiàn) is a New Year’s card.
道 (dào) as a verb means to say or to speak. 道贺 (dàohè) also means to congratulate. 道喜 (dàoxǐ) is to congratulate someone on a happy occasion. 道谢 (dàoxiè) is to express thanks, while 道歉 (dàoqiàn) is to make an apology.
The phrase 称兄道弟 (chēngxiongdàodì) means to call each other brothers, or to be buddies.
恭 (gōng), or 恭敬 (gōngjìng), means respectful or reverent.
Therefore 恭贺 (gōnghè) means to respectfully congratulate. This expression is what you would use when congratulating your elders and superiors. It is also widely used among peers as a matter of courtesy. As they say,
礼多人不怪.
Lǐ duō rén bù guài.
No one will fault you for being too polite.
礼 (lǐ) means rites, ceremony, politeness or gifts. 有礼貌 (yǒulǐmào) means being courteous and having good manners.
毕恭毕敬 (bìgōngbìjìng) is a phrase describing someone who is extremely deferential.
不如 (bùrú) means not as good as, inferior to, or it would be better to. As a verb, 从(cóng) is to engage in, to follow, or to comply with. 命 (mìng) can mean life, fate, destiny or a command or assignment.
Therefore, 恭敬不如从命 (gōngjìng bùrú cóng mìng ) means “rather than being respectful, it’s sometimes better to do what the other person demands”. For example, you offer to give your aunt a ride home, but your aunt insists that she prefers to take the short walk instead. This gives you an opportunity to say “恭敬不如从命”, and let her have her wish.
玩 (wán) means to play, to enjoy or to have fun. 世 (shì) means life, generation era or the world (世界 shìjiè). Therefore, the phrase 玩世不恭 (wánshìbùgōng) describes someone who is cynical or frivolous (i.e. does not take anything seriously).
洗 (xǐ) is to wash, 耳 (ěr) are ears, and 听 (tīng) means to listen or to hear. Therefore, the phrase 洗耳恭听 (xǐěrgōngtīng) means to listen with respectful attention, or to be all ears.
喜 (xǐ) means being happy or delighted. As a noun, it means a happy occasion (such as a wedding, or a new baby).
恭喜 (gōngxǐ) means to respectfully congratulate someone on some happy event.
禧 (xǐ) means auspicousness. At the beginning of a new year or a Chinese lunar new year, you will often come across the phrase 恭贺新禧 (gōng hè xīn xǐ). It means to respectfully congratulate someone on the auspicious new year.
Sometimes you will see 恭禧 used in place of 恭喜, but 恭禧 is a misnomer.
The coming happy event is the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit. The Chinese zodiac sign of Rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity. Rabbits are called 兔 (tù) or 兔子 (tùzǐ) in Chinese. A hare is dubbed “wild rabbit”, or 野兔 (yětù). Following are two popular Chinese idioms associated with rabbits and hares.
守株待兔
Shǒuzhūdàitù.
Keep watch by a tree, waiting for another hare to come and crash against it.
A farmer got lucky once. He caught a hare that crashed against the tree under which he happened to be sitting. From then on, he abandoned farm work and went to sit under that tree every day, hoping to catch another rabbit. It would be silly to trust to chance and windfalls like that farmer.
狡兔三窟.
Jiǎotùsānkū.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows.
I hope you are like this smart rabbit and have more than one backup plan ready for dealing with unforeseen circumstances.
恭喜兔年快乐!
Gōngxǐ tùnián kuàilè!
I/we respectfully wish you a Happy Year of the Rabbit!
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