春節 / 春节
chūnjié
Chinese New Year in Chinese is 春節 / 春节 (chūnjié). Wiktionary also lists 農曆新年 / 农历新年 (nónglì xīnnián) and 中國新年 / 中国新年.
Meaning: annual Chinese festival marking the beginning of the new year according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 春節 / 春节 | chūnjié |
| 農曆新年 / 农历新年 | nónglì xīnnián |
| 中國新年 / 中国新年 |
The term refers to the annual festival marking the beginning of the new year according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar. To say you are celebrating or spending the holiday, use the verb 過 with 春節.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 春節 literally translates to 'Spring Festival'.
Which one should you use?
While 春節 is the most common name for the holiday, 農曆新年 / 农历新年 specifically emphasizes that the date is based on the lunar calendar.
How do you pronounce it?
chūnjié
Did you know?
- During 春節, it is customary to avoid saying words like 'die' or 'break', as these are believed to bring bad luck for the coming year.
- When people talk about 春節 in a family context, they often mention the 春運, which is the world's largest annual human migration of people returning home.
- In some historical contexts and specific dialects, the holiday was referred to as 元旦 / Yuándàn, though in modern Mandarin this term has shifted to mean 'New Year's Day' on January 1st.
Examples in context
- 我们在新年期间会聚在一起庆祝。We will gather together to celebrate during the Chinese New Year.
- 春节是中国最重要的节日之一。The Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivals in China.
- 我们这家人每年都会回家过年。Our family goes back home to celebrate the Chinese New Year every year.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chinese new year” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
