Tag: chinese (3)

A grinning kid in a red-and-gold jacket wears curly ram horns under his cap, because 2015 was the Year of the Ram. The holiday he is dressed up for is 春节.

春节 (Chūnjié) is the Spring Festival, the Chinese or Lunar New Year. 春 means spring and 节 means festival. It falls between January 21 and February 20.

Each year has one of twelve zodiac animals. 2015 was 羊年 (yáng nián); 羊 covers sheep, goats and rams, so in English it is called the Year of the Goat, the Sheep or the Ram.

春节快乐！ — Chūnjié kuàilè! — Happy Spring Festival!

春节你回家吗？ — Chūnjié nǐ huí jiā ma? — Are you going home for the Spring Festival?

A clock with a bow on top sits next to a man with a big bump on his head, because a clock is a traditional no-no as a present in China. Pick a different 礼物.

礼物 (lǐwù) means “gift” or “present.” 礼 means courtesy or ritual, and 物 means thing.

A gift is counted with 份 (fèn): 一份礼物. Clocks are traditionally avoided as gifts, because 送钟 (sòng zhōng), “give a clock,” sounds the same as 送终 (sòngzhōng), to attend someone at the end of life.

这是送给你的礼物。 — Zhè shì sòng gěi nǐ de lǐwù. — This is a present for you.

谢谢你的礼物！ — Xièxie nǐ de lǐwù! — Thank you for the gift!