國慶 / 国庆
Guóqìng
The English phrase 'national day' is translated into Chinese as 國慶 / 国庆 (Guóqìng). If unsure, use 國慶 / 国庆. Wiktionary also lists 國慶日 / 国庆日 (Guóqìngrì).
Meaning: day marking a country's establishment (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 國慶 / 国庆 | Guóqìng |
| 國慶日 / 国庆日 | Guóqìngrì |
國慶 / 国庆 is a noun used to mark the day a country was established. In mainland China, 國慶 / 国庆 specifically refers to the October 1st National Day of the People's Republic of China.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 國 (guó, country) and 慶 (qìng, to celebrate), literally meaning 'national celebration'.
Which one should you use?
While 國慶 / 国庆 is often used as a shorthand noun for the holiday, 國慶日 / 国庆日 is the more complete way to say 'National Day'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, National Day is known as 双十节. In Hong Kong and Macau, it is called 国庆日.
How do you pronounce it?
Guóqìng
Did you know?
- The character 國 / 国 in 國慶 / 国庆 originally depicted a weapon and a border, symbolizing the defense of the territory being celebrated.
- In mainland China, the 國慶 / 国庆 holiday is often grouped with the 'Golden Week' travel rush, creating one of the largest annual human migrations on Earth as people return home to visit family.
- While 國慶 / 国庆 is the official term, people in mainland China often refer to the surrounding holiday period as 黄金周, or 'Golden Week'.
Examples in context
- 祝您国庆节快乐！Wishing you a happy National Day!
- 祝你们双十节快乐！Wishing you a happy Double Ten Festival!
- 愿你有一个愉快的国庆节！Wishing you a joyful National Day!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “national day” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
