Chinese word

元宵节

Pronunciation

Pinyinyuán xiāo jié

Meaning

  • nounLantern Festival

Example

我们在元宵节看了花灯。wǒ men zài yuán xiāo jié kàn le huā dēng

We saw lanterns at the Lantern Festival.

Illustration for 元宵节 (Lantern Festival)

More examples

孩子们在元宵节吃元宵，寓意团圆。hái zi men zài yuán xiāo jié chī yuán xiāo yù yì tuán yuán

Children eat sweet rice dumplings at the Lantern Festival, symbolizing reunion.

Core concept

A bright communal night of lantern viewing, sweet rice balls, and folk entertainment that centers on reunion and light.

Common phrases

  • 庆祝元宵节qìng zhù yuán xiāo jié

    celebrate the Lantern Festival

  • 在元宵节看花灯zài yuán xiāo jié kàn huā dēng

    watch lanterns at the Lantern Festival

  • 元宵节的习俗yuán xiāo jié de xí sú

    customs of the Lantern Festival

Similar words

春节chūn jié: China's New Year festival, starting on the first day of the first lunar month.
中秋节zhōng qiū jié: A festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, with moon viewing and mooncakes.
端午节duān wǔ jié: A festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, with rice dumplings and dragon boat races.
清明节qīng míng jié: A spring day for visiting ancestors' graves, cleaning them, and paying respects.

Definition in Chinese

农历正月十五的传统节日，以赏灯、吃元宵或汤圆和民间游艺为主要活动，象征团圆与光明。nóng lì zhēng yuè shí wǔ de chuán tǒng jié rì yǐ shǎng dēng chī yuán xiāo huò tāng yuán hé mín jiān yóu yì wéi zhǔ yào huó dòng xiàng zhēng tuán yuán yǔ guāng míng

Word origin

元 (yuán, "first") + 宵 (xiāo, "night") + 节 (jié, "festival") names the festival held on the first lunar month's fifteenth night.

Usage tips

  • Holiday food can open a useful regional conversation because people may compare rice balls made by rolling the dough with those made by wrapping it around a filling.

Opposites

Related words

  • 元宵yuán xiāosweet rice dumplingnoun
  • 上元节shàng yuán jiéShangyuan Festivalnoun

Word lists with this word