HSK · Level 60
105 words
Chinese word
年夜饭
Pronunciation
Pinyinnián yè fàn
Meaning
- nounNew Year's Eve dinner
Example
我们一家今晚吃年夜饭。wǒ men yì jiā jīn wǎn chī nián yè fàn
Our family is having New Year's Eve dinner tonight.
More examples
很多人特意回老家吃年夜饭。hěn duō rén tè yì huí lǎo jiā chī nián yè fàn
Many people make a special trip back to their hometown for New Year's Eve dinner.
Core concept
A family meal that marks the boundary between the old year and the new one.
Common phrases
吃年夜饭的习俗chī nián yè fàn de xí sú
the custom of having New Year's Eve dinner
年夜饭前的准备nián yè fàn qián de zhǔn bèi
preparations before New Year's Eve dinner
回老家吃年夜饭huí lǎo jiā chī nián yè fàn
return to one's hometown for New Year's Eve dinner
Similar words
团圆饭tuán yuán fàn: A meal for family members who gather together and enjoy being reunited.
除夕chú xī: The evening that closes the lunar year and comes before the new year.
春节chūn jié: The traditional Chinese festival season when families gather for Lunar New Year.
Definition in Chinese
指在除夕夜与家人共进的团圆饭，含有辞旧迎新和祈求来年吉祥的意义。zhǐ zài chú xī yè yǔ jiā rén gòng jìn de tuán yuán fàn hán yǒu cí jiù yíng xīn hé qí qiú lái nián jí xiáng de yì yì
Word origin
年 (nián, "year") + 夜 (yè, "night") + 饭 (fàn, "meal") form a transparent compound for the meal held on the night that closes one year and welcomes the next.
Usage tips
- In conversational plans, it naturally combines with verbs such as eat, prepare, or have, so it points to the meal rather than to every activity that happens that night.