Chinese New Year

I recently wrote a blog post on How to say ‘Happy New Year’ in Chinese language. But is that when the Chinese people celebrate New Year? Actually the Chinese New Year this year is on January 23. So how do you say Chinese New Year in Chinese language?

春节 (chūn jié)
春(chūn): spring
节(jié): festival

So in China it is known as the Spring Festival. There is a weeklong holiday during this period, allowing Chinese people to travel home and celebrate the new year with the family. The Chinese new year is also known as the Lunar New Year, because it is the first day of the lunar-solar Chinese calendar.

[Source: Click here]

Each new year is marked by the characteristics of one of the twelve zodiacal animals, and this is the year of the dragon.

龙 (lóng): dragon

Last year was the year of the rabbit and next year is the year of the snake

兔 (tù): rabbit
蛇 (shé): snake

Chinese Valentine's Day

Yesterday was the Qixi Festival in China, and it is also known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day.

七夕节 (Qīxì jié): Qixi Festival

七(qī): seven

夕(xì): evening

Literally it translates to “The night of sevens”, and it is named as such because it falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which happens to be on August 6 this year. It is also known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day:

情人节 (Qíngrén jié): Valentine’s Day

情 (qíng): love

人 (rén): people

Looking for a Chinese girlfriend/boyfriend? You could definitely use some of these Chinese words:

爱 (ài): love

我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ): I love you

男朋友 (nan péngyǒu): boyfriend

女朋友 (nǚ péngyǒu): girlfriend

谈恋爱 (tán liàn'ài): to date someone

马克和丽莎谈恋爱

(Mǎkè hé Lìshā tán liàn'ài)

Mark and Lisa are dating.

吹了 (chuīle): to break up

他们吹了 (tāmen chuīle): They broke up

不来电 (bù láidiàn): to have no chemistry

And there is this very popular Chinese saying:

男才女貌 (Nán cái nǚ mào): talented man and a beautiful woman

In ancient China, it was believed to be a good match if the man was talented and the woman was beautiful.

男才女貌，这么不配？

(Nán cái nǚ mào, zhème bù pèi?)

The guy is talented and the girl is good looking, how is it not a good match?