This year, the Lunar New Year falls on 17 February, the Year of the 馬(Horse). So, let's take a look at some suitable greetings for the Year of the Horse today.
The animal 馬(Horse)
To start, let's take a look at the animal itself. Traditionally used to transport people and goods over long distances, the horse is a beast of burden. It symbolises vitality, an unbridled spirit and freedom.
For example, the "千里馬" (Thousand-Li Horse) is a legendary steed said to be able to cover 1,000 里 (around 500 kilometres) in a single day.
In Western culture, you might think of a Thoroughbred, which is known for its speed. However, the 千里馬 is specifically defined by its incredible stamina and endurance. It represents someone with rare and exceptional talent who can go the distance, but who needs a perceptive person to recognise their potential. We will save the story of "伯樂(Bo Le) and the 千里馬" for next time.
However, not all horses are extraordinary; many are simply ordinary working animals. To understand the next idiom, picture a scene from a period drama set in Europe: a lord riding a horse and leading his hounds on a hunt. This image helps explain the phrase "犬馬之勞" (The Labor of Dog and Horse). It conveys the idea of serving a chosen leader loyally, carrying them like a horse and hunting for them like a dog.
Since you have decided to serve like a domesticated animal, your routine becomes just as strict as theirs—early to rise and late to rest.
This gives rise to the term "做牛做馬", meaning “to toil like an ox and a horse”. It describes working diligently at someone's beck and call, and often implies that this hard work is taken for granted.
Finally, there is a unique term: 馬虎 (Horse-Tiger), which means careless or sloppy. The pronunciation is mǎ hu.
Legend has it that in the 宋 Dynasty, a painter drew a creature resembling both a horse and a tiger. When his sons asked what it was, he told the eldest son that it was a tiger and the younger son that it was a horse.
The consequences were tragic: the eldest son shot a neighbour's horse, mistaking it for a tiger, and had to pay damages. The younger son tried to ride a wild tiger, mistaking it for a horse, and was killed. Since then, the term "馬虎" has been used to describe the serious consequences that can arise from being ambiguous or careless, as the painter was.
Now, let's explore some New Year greetings specifically for the Year of the Horse.
Traditional Greetings
- 馬到成功：This is the most classic greeting. Originally, it referred to achieving victory as soon as the warhorse arrived on the battlefield. Nowadays, it is a metaphor for achieving success swiftly and smoothly.
- 龍馬精神：The "龍馬" is a legendary divine horse. This phrase describes someone with a vigorous spirit and boundless vitality. It is particularly suitable for wishing elders or leaders good health and abundant energy.
- 一馬當先：Originally referring to riding a horse at the very front of a charge in battle, it is now used to describe leading the pack in work or action. It symbolizes being ahead of the competition and is perfect for wishing someone on a promotion or business expansion.
- 萬馬奔騰：This depicts the spectacular scene of thousands of horses running together. It describes grand momentum and is suitable for wishing a company powerful growth and rapid development.
While these two idioms (一馬當先&萬馬奔騰) can be used individually, they are frequently paired together to congratulate leaders.
This combination highlights their exceptional leadership skills, showing that they can take the lead and motivate the whole team to pursue their goals.
For example:
祝福您在新的市場上，一馬當先，萬馬奔騰！
I wish you would take the lead in the new market, guiding the company to create the grand momentum of ten thousand horses galloping!
- 春風得意馬蹄疾，壯志凌雲事業新：This poetic couplet means, "In spring, you ride your horse swiftly and joyfully. Your lofty ambitions pierce the clouds, propelling your career towards new and greater achievements."
Having covered the traditional, old-school greetings, let's see what's trending online for 2026.
Modern Greetings
I’ve filtered out some greetings that defy textual explanation, like "早安，瑪卡巴卡。" I honestly have no idea what it means; I guess it's a line from a children's show!
- 神馬都是浮雲，只有暴富是真的："神馬"(Divine Horse) sounds like"什麼"(What). The term '浮雲'(floating clouds) is used to describe things that are fleeting or unimportant. So, this sentence means that everything is just like fleeting clouds that vanish easily, and that only getting suddenly rich is real.
- 即使馬馬虎虎，也要快樂跳舞：As we mentioned earlier, “馬虎” means careless. This means: Even if you're a little sloppy or life is just so-so, you should still dance with joy.
- 馬虎 → 馬馬虎虎：This is a common rhetorical device called 疊字(Reduplication). Repeating characters strengthens the tone and rhythm. It is used in both speech and writing.
- 願您幸福加馬，Horse連連！ ：This is a double pun. 加馬 (Add Horse) sounds like 加碼 (Add Weight), meaning to add extra value. In different contexts, this can mean increasing the stakes in gambling or offering a bonus in business. “Horse" sounds like 好事 (Good Things) in a Taiwanese Hokkien accent. The whole sentence means: May your happiness be doubled, and may good things happen one after another.
- 新年快樂！不要抓馬只要好馬：”抓馬 “is the phonetic transliteration of the English word "Drama”. So this simply means: Happy New Year, no more drama, only good horse.
- 拒絕當牛做馬，今年只做賴皮小馬：We mentioned "做牛做馬(toiling like an ox or horse) earlier. Here, both the verbs 當 and 做 mean “to be” or “to act as”. 賴皮 means acting shamelessly, playing the rogue, or shirking responsibility. It refers to someone who breaks rules, goes back on their word, or refuses to admit mistakes. So, this phrase declares a refusal to work hard, choosing instead to be an irresponsible, carefree little horse.
I hope you found this useful! To master these words, make sure to check out the video above for native audio examples. Happy learning! 
留言
張貼留言