Holidays & Festivals
intermediate节日
Discover the vocabulary and traditions behind China's most important holidays and festivals, from the Spring Festival to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
38 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
38 words — click any row for an example sentence
Spring Festival
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 春节 | Chūnjié | Spring Festival / Chinese New Year | noun |
| 过年 | guònián | to celebrate the New Year | verb |
| 年夜饭 | niányèfàn | New Year's Eve dinner | noun |
| 红包 | hóngbāo | red envelope (with money) | noun |
| 放鞭炮 | fàng biānpào | to set off firecrackers | verb |
| 春联 | chūnlián | Spring Festival couplets | noun |
| 拜年 | bàinián | to pay a New Year visit | verb |
| 春晚 | Chūnwǎn | Spring Festival Gala (CCTV New Year show) | noun |
| 除夕 | Chúxī | New Year's Eve (lunar calendar) | noun |
| 饺子 | jiǎozi | dumplings | noun |
Mid-Autumn Festival
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中秋节 | Zhōngqiūjié | Mid-Autumn Festival | noun |
| 月饼 | yuèbǐng | mooncake | noun |
| 赏月 | shǎngyuè | to admire the moon | verb |
| 团圆 | tuányuán | family reunion | noun |
Dragon Boat Festival
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 端午节 | Duānwǔjié | Dragon Boat Festival | noun |
| 粽子 | zòngzi | zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) | noun |
| 龙舟 | lóngzhōu | dragon boat | noun |
Other Festivals
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 元宵节 | Yuánxiāojié | Lantern Festival | noun |
| 清明节 | Qīngmíngjié | Tomb-Sweeping Day | noun |
| 国庆节 | Guóqìngjié | National Day (October 1st) | noun |
| 劳动节 | Láodòngjié | Labor Day (May 1st) | noun |
| 七夕节 | Qīxījié | Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day) | noun |
| 重阳节 | Chóngyángjié | Double Ninth Festival | noun |
General
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 节日 | jiérì | holiday / festival | noun |
| 放假 | fàngjià | to have a holiday / to get time off | verb |
| 庆祝 | qìngzhù | to celebrate | verb |
| 传统 | chuántǒng | tradition / traditional | noun |
| 习俗 | xísú | custom / tradition | noun |
| 假期 | jiàqī | holiday period / vacation | noun |
| 祝福 | zhùfú | blessing / to wish well | noun |
| 热闹 | rènao | lively / bustling | adjective |
| 灯笼 | dēnglong | lantern | noun |
| 烟花 | yānhua | fireworks | noun |
| 纪念 | jìniàn | to commemorate / memorial | verb |
| 农历 | nónglì | lunar calendar | noun |
| 长辈 | zhǎngbèi | elder / senior family member | noun |
Festival Food
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 汤圆 | tāngyuán | glutinous rice balls (sweet soup) | noun |
| 年糕 | niángāo | New Year cake (sticky rice cake) | noun |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
新年快乐！
Xīnnián kuàilè!
Happy New Year!
The most common New Year greeting, used both for the Lunar New Year and January 1st.
恭喜发财！
Gōngxǐ fācái!
Wishing you prosperity!
A classic Spring Festival greeting, literally meaning "congratulations on getting rich."
过年好！
Guònián hǎo!
Happy New Year! (informal)
A casual way to greet people during the Spring Festival, often used between friends and neighbors.
你们那里过年有什么习俗？
Nǐmen nàlǐ guònián yǒu shénme xísú?
What customs do you have for the New Year where you are from?
Asking about regional holiday traditions, since customs vary greatly across China.
中秋节快乐！
Zhōngqiūjié kuàilè!
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
A greeting for the Mid-Autumn Festival, typically said while sharing mooncakes.
今年你回老家过年吗？
Jīnnián nǐ huí lǎojiā guònián ma?
Are you going back to your hometown for the New Year this year?
A very common question before the Spring Festival, since most people travel home.
假期过得怎么样？
Jiàqī guò de zěnmeyàng?
How was your holiday?
Asking about someone's holiday experience after they return to work or school.
祝你身体健康，万事如意！
Zhù nǐ shēntǐ jiànkāng, wànshì rúyì!
Wishing you good health and all the best!
A formal blessing commonly used during the Spring Festival, especially for elders.
你收到红包了吗？
Nǐ shōu dào hóngbāo le ma?
Did you receive any red envelopes?
A common lighthearted question during the Spring Festival among friends.
国庆节快到了，你有什么计划？
Guóqìngjié kuài dào le, nǐ yǒu shénme jìhuà?
National Day is coming soon. Do you have any plans?
Asking about plans for the National Day holiday (Golden Week).
端午安康！
Duānwǔ ānkāng!
Wishing you peace and health on Dragon Boat Festival!
A proper greeting for the Dragon Boat Festival. Note: "快乐" (happy) is sometimes considered inappropriate for this festival because of its somber origins.
过年的气氛真好！
Guònián de qìfēn zhēn hǎo!
The New Year atmosphere is really great!
Commenting on the festive mood during the Spring Festival.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Planning for the Spring Festival
Two colleagues are discussing their plans for the upcoming Spring Festival break.
Speaker A
快过年了！你买到回家的票了吗？
Speaker B
买到了！抢了好久才买到高铁票。你呢？
Speaker A
我今年不回去了，留在北京过年。
Speaker B
那你除夕晚上一个人吗？要不来我家吃年夜饭吧？
Speaker A
真的吗？那太好了！我可以带点水果过去。
Speaker B
好啊，我妈会包饺子，味道特别好。
Speaker A
太棒了！我最喜欢吃饺子了。提前祝你新年快乐！
Speaker B
新年快乐！恭喜发财！
Cultural note: During the Spring Festival, it is very common for colleagues and friends who cannot go home to celebrate together. Inviting someone to join your family's New Year's Eve dinner is considered a warm and generous gesture. Guests typically bring gifts such as fruit, snacks, or alcohol.
Mid-Autumn Festival at the Office
Two coworkers are sharing mooncakes and talking about Mid-Autumn Festival traditions.
Speaker A
中秋节快乐！这是公司发的月饼，你尝尝。
Speaker B
谢谢！是什么馅的？
Speaker A
有豆沙的，还有蛋黄莲蓉的。
Speaker B
我最喜欢蛋黄莲蓉的了。你今晚回家赏月吗？
Speaker A
是啊，我爸妈做了好多菜，让我回去团圆。
Speaker B
真好。中秋节就是要一家人在一起。
Cultural note: Many Chinese companies give mooncake gift boxes to employees before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes come in many varieties, with the most traditional being lotus seed paste with egg yolk. In recent years, creative modern flavors like ice cream, matcha, and even spicy mooncakes have appeared.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Holidays & Festivals Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
14 of 38 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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