(Have just updated the blogpsot with lots of new Year of the Tiger resources, and will continue to do so as I find new ones. Enjoy!)
2022 is a year of the Tiger, starting from 01.02.2022, and ends 21.01 2023. The Tiger is the third Zodiac sign. The 12 Zodiac animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, so every 12 years, it will be the Year of the Tiger again.
1. Year of the Tiger Auspicious Sayings 虎年吉祥話/祝賀詞
Some sayings with animals are generic and the animals are interchangeable depending on which year it is.
虎年大吉 | u2 nin4 daai6 gat1 | Good fortune in the Year of the Tiger |
虎年行大運 | fu2 nin4 haang4 daai6 wan6 | Good fortune in the Year of the Tiger |
虎年如意 | fu2 nin4 jyu4 ji3 | Everything goes well in the Year of the Tiger |
虎年好運 | fu2 nin4 hou2 wan6 | Good fortune in the Year of the Tiger |
虎年進步 | fu2 nin4 zeon3 bou6 | Progress in the Year of the Tiger |
虎年安康 | fu2 nin4 on1 hong1 | Good health in the Year of the Tiger |
虎年吉祥 | fu2 nin4 gat1 coeng4 | Auspicious Year of the Tiger |
虎年順利 | fu2 nin4 seon6 lei6 | Smooth-sailing Year of the Tiger |
虎年旺返 | fu2 nin4 wong6 faan1 | Prosper again this Year of the Tiger |
Some are 成語 Chinese idioms with the 虎 word, and relates to the characteristics of the Tiger.
虎虎生威 | fu2 fu2 sang1 wai1 | To prosper with the vigor and vitality of the Tiger |
龍精虎猛 | lung4 zing1 fu2 maang5 | Having the spirit of a energy of a Tiger |
生龍活虎 | saang1 lung4 wut6 fu2 | Vigorous and lively like Dragons and Tigers |
虎步龍行 | fu2 bou6 lung4 hang4 | Move like Dragons and Tigers |
虎嘯龍吟 | fu2 siu3 lung4 jam4 | Roar like Dragons and Tigers |
如虎添翼 | jyu4 fu2 tim1 jik6 | Be like a Tiger that has grown wings |
猛虎出山 | maang5 fu2 ceot1 saan1 | Brave and fast like a fierce Tiger |
龍精虎猛 | lung4 zing1 fu2 maang5 | With the spirit of a Dragon and the ferocity of a Tiger |
Some play on the sound of 虎 – these would be different for Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese and other Chinese languages.
In Cantonese, 虎中作樂 plays on the similar sounds of 虎 and 苦. 苦中作樂 means Finding joy amidst hardship. Hopefully we won’t be using this phrase in another 12 years. I will use this phrase sparingly, and instead pick something more positive and forward looking.
虎中作樂 | fu2 zung1 zok3 lok6 | Finding joy amidst hardship |
福虎生風 (虎虎生風)/虎星高照 (福星高照)works better in Mandarin, but still works in Cantonese, but the meaning will change slightly. The KMB bus features the latter on some of their buses this year.
The following work in Mandarin but not Cantonese, as they reply on rhymes or similar sounds of characters in Mandarin e.g. 天天幸虎 (天天幸福) / 虎你快樂 (祝你快樂)/ 幸虎久久(幸福久久)/ 歡迎虎年好舒虎 (歡迎虎年好舒服).
You might also have seen sayings that start with 虎哩, these would originate from Taiwan. 虎哩 is pronounced huli, and sounds like 給你 in Taiwanese which means give you. So you might see sentences such as 虎哩發大財/ 虎哩賺大錢/ 虎哩健康/虎哩平安 / 虎哩幸虎(祝你幸福). A funny one is 愛老虎油 which when you read it in Mandarin sounds (kind of) like “I love you” in English.
2. Year of the Tiger Crafts 虎年手工
Join 小眼睛工作室 Tiny Eyes Studio to learn to paint a Chinese New Year Tiger. Prepare your art paper, pastels, water colours or poster paints, brushes, and palette and enjoy!
Paper Cutting from 好好私塾. Limited time offer – the link is available within the Facebook post. This is a very generous sharing – the cutting looks gorgeous.
吉虎王 Paper Cutting by 說文部首演變與衍生字 Chinese particle transformation
Download the third image in the post below.
Gorgeous Tiger Paper Cuttings from 臺北市孔廟儒學粉絲團
Adorable leaping tiger craft from 滾妹‧這一家. Follow the pictorial instructions.
Tiger Hanging Wall Art by 好好私塾 . Follow the pictorial instructions.
Craft and other activities for fine motor skills
More paper cutting
Year of the Tiger Lantern by Sweet Note Learning
Big eyed Tiger Lantern – link for download within Facebook post.
3. Year of the Tiger Chinese New Year Banners 虎年揮春
Banners from Cantonese Mommy – includes conventional sayings as well as Cantonese specific ones.
Banners from Michigan Cantonese Storytime that you can colour in. Do note the second saying 虎中作樂 only works in Cantonese, as 虎 and 苦 sound similar in Cantonese, but not Mandarin.
7 designs available from 兔包, available for download in JPG format. For two of the designs, there is also the option to download them as colouring sheets.
Banner designs where you can insert a face. By Gentle Kids.
Banners and handwriting sheet from Little Book Kids. Limited time offer.
Spot of Sunshine shares an easy way to make Tiger Banners from brown lunchbags.
More cute banners from Ma Ma Wu Workshop this year. As per last year, you can also insert a photo. To obtain the photos, you have to like the page and the post, and make a greeting that also involves horse e.g. 虎年大吉!虎年行好運!
4. DIY Red Packets 牛年利是封DIY
Check out these adorable origami Tiger Red Packet 可愛小萌虎紅包 by 滾妹‧這一家
Cure designs by Mint Purple Studio, Available in full colour and in black and white. They had more designs in the leadup to CNY last year, so do check their Facebook page regularly for updates.
DIY Red packet by Joy中文學校-親子共學版.
How to DIY a red packet. Follow the photo instructions.
6. Other Resources
Chinese New Year Activity Pack by Little Chinese Learners – 18-page activity booklet. Download link in Facebook post below. Includes character writing, paper cutting, DIY red envelope, and craft. Some are tiger specific, and all are very cute. 2021 version can be accessed here. 2021 version also has a Bingo game
A Year of the Tiger Headband by Michigan Cantonese Storytime, that you can colour in.
Chinese New Year Greeting Words Poster 農曆新年吉祥話學習單. The video shows what you will get. Download link to Google Drive within post. Then request permission.
Memory game cards – 4 designs. by Bai ⋈ Bai 白畫文
Tiger photo frames from Mama Baby Mandarin
Year of Tiger paper box.
Worksheets from Wayshk. Requires you to comment on the Facebook post.
The art of 虎 by Catlike Studio
Year of the Tiger Printables including Year of the Tiger Happy Chinese New Year Cards, Bookmarks, and Poster by Baker Ross Craft for Kids. The Chinese characters are in Traditional Chinese.
Other Chinese New Year resources :
- Chinese New Year Cantonese Teaching Activities and Resources
- Chinese New Year Cantonese Vocabulary, Greetings and Banners 揮春
- Christian Chinese New Year Banners 基督春聯
- Lantern Festival Cantonese Teaching Activities and Resources 元宵節粵語教材
- God of Wealth is Arriving Cantonese Song Lyrics 財神到粵語歌詞