Definition

1. Verb:
   • To give lucky money on Lunar New Year: The primary meaning refers to the traditional Vietnamese custom of giving money, typically in a red envelope, to children, elders, or others during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. This act expresses good wishes for the new year and for being a year older.
   • To wish someone a happy new year (with the implication of giving lucky money): The verb encompasses both the verbal expression of New Year's wishes and the accompanying customary gift of money.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ông bà thường mừng tuổi cho các cháu vào dịp Tết. (Grandparents usually give lucky money to their grandchildren on Lunar New Year.)
  • Chúng tôi đến thăm và mừng tuổi ông bà. (We visited and gave lucky money to our grandparents.)
  • Mọi người trong gia đình cùng nhau mừng tuổi đầu năm. (Everyone in the family exchanges New Year's wishes and lucky money at the beginning of the year.)

Advanced Usage

• "Mừng tuổi" as a noun concept: While primarily a verb, the phrase can be used to refer to the act or the gift itself in certain contexts.
  • Những phong bao mừng tuổi đỏ thắm. (The bright red lucky money envelopes.)
• The act of "mừng tuổi" is deeply cultural. It is not simply a gift but a ritual symbolizing the transfer of luck, blessings, and good fortune from the giver (often older) to the receiver for the coming year.

Variants and Related Words

• Lì xì (n): This is a more colloquial term, derived from Chinese (利是), also meaning "lucky money" given during Tết. It is often used interchangeably in conversation, though "mừng tuổi" is the standard Vietnamese term.
  • Bố mẹ chuẩn bị lì xì để mừng tuổi con cháu. (Parents prepare lucky money to give to their children and grandchildren.)
• Tiền mừng tuổi (n): Specifically refers to the "lucky money" itself.
  • Các bé rất vui khi nhận tiền mừng tuổi. (The children are very happy to receive lucky money.)

Synonyms

• Chúc Tết: To wish someone a happy Lunar New Year. This focuses on the verbal greeting, while "mừng tuổi" implies the greeting plus the customary gift.
• Tặng tiền lì xì: To give lucky money. This is a more descriptive phrase.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• "Lộc xuân": Spring prosperity/blessings. This is a poetic term often associated with the blessings and good fortune received during Tết, which includes the concept of "mừng tuổi."
• The custom is part of the broader phrase "Mừng tuổi chúc Tết", which encapsulates the combined activities of giving lucky money and offering New Year's greetings.

1. Express New Year's Day wishes (to someone for being a year older)