Chinese New Year full vocabulary list
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更新于 4月、 2周前 。
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For this list we’ve grouped all the vocabulary associated with Chinese New Year into the following four categories:
- Special events and dates
- Chinese New Year greetings
- Chinese New Year objects and activities
- Chinese New Year food
So let’s start with…
1. Special events and dates
Here you’ll see the important events and dates during the Chinese New Year. As mentioned above, these new words will give you a good insight into Chinese traditions and how Chinese people celebrate the new year!
No. Chinese Pinyin English meaning 1 春节 chūnjié Chinese New Year/Spring Festival 2 农历新年 nóng lì xīn nián Lunar New Year 3 除夕 chúxī Chinese New Year’s Eve 4 大年初一 dànián chūyī New Year’s Day 5 初二 chūèr Day After New Year’s 6 元宵节/正月十五 yuán xiāo jié/zhēngyuèshíwǔ Lantern Festival 7 正月 zhēng yuè The first month of the lunar year 8 腊月 làyuè Twelfth month of the lunar year 9 春运 chūnyùn Spring Festival Migration (hundreds of million people travel to their hometown for New Year) 10 团圆饭 tuányuán fàn Family reunion dinner 11 春节晚会 chūnjié wǎnhuì Chinese New Year Gala 12 庙会 miàohuì Temple fairs 13 年夜饭 nián yè fàn New Years dinner 14 过年 guònián Celebrate the New Year 15 拜年 bàinián New Year’s visit Just a side note, you will see other expressions and phrases meaning “Chinese New Year” as well, but 春节 (chūnjié) is still the most common one.
2. Chinese New Year Greetings
This category looks at how Chinese people wish each other a Happy New Year and send blessings to other Chinese friends. In addition to traditional greetings, there are also modern ones such as sending digital red envelopes filled with money via messaging apps. For business greetings, it’s important to show respect and express well wishes for success in the coming year.
Using the right Chinese New Year greeting is a great way to show your appreciation and build stronger relationships with your Chinese friends and colleagues.
No. Chinese Pinyin English meaning 1 新年好 Xīnnián hǎo Happy Chinese New Year (informal) 2 新年快乐 xīn nián kuài lè Happy Chinese New Year (formal) 3 恭喜发财 gōngxǐfācái Happiness and prosperity 4 万事如意 wàn shì rú yì May all go well with you! 5 祝你心想事成 zhù nǐ xīnxiǎng-shì chéng May all your wishes come true 6 年年有余 niánniányǒuyú May you have abundance year after year 7 身体健康 shēn tǐ jiàn kāng Wishing you good health! 8 (X)年大吉 (X) nián dà jí Wishing you luck in the new year of the X! 9 阖家欢乐 hé jiā huān lè Happiness for the whole family! 10 岁岁平安 suìsuì-píng’ān Everlasting peace year after year 11 工作顺利 gōng zuò shùn lì May your work go smoothly! 12 事业有成 shì yè yǒu chéng Success in your career! 13 步步高升 bù bù gāo shēng Promotions at every step! 3. Chinese New Year objects and activities
Chinese New Year is also marked by various objects and Lunar New Year gifts that hold special significance. One of these is the red envelope, known as “hóngbāo,” which is filled with money and given as a gift to children and unmarried adults. Decorations like lanterns, Chinese knots, and paper cutouts of animals are also common during the Lunar New Year. These objects are believed to bring prosperity, happiness, and good fortune to those who display them.
Chinese New Year activities
Chinese people also visit relatives and watch lion dances or comedic skits on national television. Another must-do festive activity is setting off firecrackers and fireworks. It is a way to scare away evil spirits and welcome the new year. At exactly midnight and the following few minutes of The New Chinese Year, the sky all over the country explodes with billions of fireworks.
No Chinese Pinyin English meaning 1 红包 hóngbāo Red envelope 2 压岁钱 yāsuìqián Money given to children as a Lunar New Year gift 3 拜年 bàinián pay someone a visit during the Chinese New Year 4 礼物 lǐwù Gifts 5 烟花 yānhuā Fireworks 6 鞭炮 biānpào Firecrackers 7 放鞭炮 fàng biānpào Set off firecrackers 8 灯笼 dēnglóng Lantern 9 小品 xiǎopǐn Comedic skits 10 相声 xiàngsheng Cross-talk 11 杂技 zájì Acrobatics 12 舞狮 wǔshī Lion dance 13 舞龙 wǔ lóng Dragon dance 14 生肖 shēngxiào Zodiac 15 守夜 shǒuyè Staying up until midnight/through the night 4. Chinese New Year food
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Chinese New Year is the special food that is served during the reunion dinner, known as “lucky food.” These dishes are believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. The Chinese people have a strong belief in the new year symbolism for food, and the lucky foods that are served during the New Year’s Eve dinner are carefully chosen to represent different aspects of prosperity and good fortune.
Chinese New Year food options
For example, fish is a must-have dish, as the word for fish in Chinese sounds like “surplus,” which represents abundance and prosperity. The fish is usually served whole, with its head and tail intact, to symbolize completeness and unity within the family.
Another popular lucky food is the dumpling, which is shaped like gold and silver ingots that were common in ancient China. Dumplings symbolize wealth and prosperity, and families often gather together to make and eat them on New Year’s Eve. It is said that the more dumplings you eat, the more money you will make in the coming year.
Niángāo, or glutinous rice cake, is another lucky food that is popular during the Chinese New Year. The word niángāo sounds like “year high,” which symbolizes a greater wealth or position.
No Chinese Pinyin English meaning 1 饺子 jiǎozi Dumplings 2 汤圆 tāngyuán Glutinous rice dumplings 3 鱼 yú Fish 4 年糕 niángāo New Year cake 5 长寿面 chángshòu miàn Longevity noodles 6 春卷 chūnjuǎn Spring rolls 7 水果 shuǐguǒ Fruits
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