How to Say "Eve" in Chinese - How To Say Guide

前夕

qiánxī

In Chinese, the English phrase "eve" (the day or night before) is expressed as 前夕 (qiánxī). Wiktionary also lists 前夜 (qiányè).

Meaning: day or night before (noun)

Ways to say it

“eve” in Chinese
Chinese	Romanization (Wiktionary)
前夕	qiánxī
前夜	qiányè

Both 前夕 and 前夜 are used to refer to the day or night preceding a significant event.

The word 前夕 is composed of 前, meaning "before" or "front" and 夕, which means "evening" or "night".

前夜 is more focused on the literal night preceding an event and often carries a more literary or poetic tone than 前夕.

qiánxī

While 前夕 describes the eve of an event, the Chinese word for 'New Year's Eve' is often 除夕, where 除 means 'to remove'. This refers to the custom of removing the old year to make way for the new.
Unlike English, where 'eve' can be used casually for any day before another, 前夕 is rarely used for mundane events. You would use it for a wedding or a national holiday, but almost never for a casual Tuesday.
The word 夕 is used in the Chinese idiom 夕陽無限好, which describes the beauty of a sunset. This reflects a cultural tendency to associate the 'eve' or 'evening' period with the poignant beauty of ending things.

考试前夕，他特别焦虑。
He was very anxious on the eve of the exam.
This sentence shows how to use 前夕 to describe someone feeling anxious before an exam.
Tatoeba #1408329 by sirpoot, translation #1408326 by rene1596
明天是除夕，我们全家会一起团聚过年。
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and our whole family will gather together to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
明天是万圣节的前夜，我准备去参加化妆舞会。
Tomorrow is Halloween Eve, and I'm getting ready to attend a costume party.
圣诞节前夕，我们会去参加夜礼拜。
On Christmas Eve, we will attend the midnight mass.
他在出发前夕，突然改变了计划。
Tā zài chūfā qiánxī, tūrán gǎibiàn le jìhuà.
On the eve of his departure, he suddenly changed his plans.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Two friends are discussing an upcoming trip.

浩然 Haoran

佳怡，出发前夕你要记得检查护照。
Jiāyí, chūfā qiánxī nǐ yào jìdé jiǎnchá hùzhào.
Jiayi, remember to check your passport on the eve of departure.
佳怡 Jiayi

我知道，我已经把它准备好了。
wǒ zhīdào, wǒ yǐjīng bǎ tā zhǔnbèi hǎo le.
I know, I have already prepared it.
浩然 Haoran

太好了，我们一定会玩得很开心。
tài hǎo le, wǒmen yīdìng huì wán de hěn kāixīn.
Great, we will definitely have a lot of fun.
佳怡 Jiayi

我也这么觉得，我已经等不及了！
wǒ yě zhème juéde, wǒ yǐjīng děng bù jí le!
I think so too, I can't wait!

Sources

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