CALIFORNIA - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday wished everyone a Happy Chinese New Year - in Mandarin.

The American put up a 30-second video showing him speaking in Mandarin on Facebook with the caption: "This is a moment of renewal and celebration each year. I hope you have a wonderful time surrounded by friends and family, and I hope that the Year of the Sheep brings you health and happiness."

Zuckerberg first shocked a Chinese audience in Beijing by conducting an entire 30-minute question-and-answer session at Tsinghua University,in Mandarin in October 2014.

The 30-year-old said that he decided to learn the language so he could communicate with his wife Priscilla Chan's family who are originally from China.