圣诞老人
Shèngdàn Lǎorén
圣诞老人 (Shèngdàn Lǎorén) is the Chinese way to say Santa.
圣诞老人 refers to the legendary figure who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve.
What does it mean word for word?
The name is composed of 圣诞 (Christmas) and 老人 (old man).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, the Cantonese phrase 聖誕老人 is commonly used.
How do you pronounce it?
Shèngdàn Lǎorén
Did you know?
- In some parts of China, 圣诞老人 is associated with the 'Christmas Eve' commercial culture of giving apples, as the word for apple 苹果 sounds similar to the word for peace 平安.
- The character 圣 in 圣诞 is used for 'holy' or 'saint', a term that in ancient Chinese philosophy was often reserved for Confucius, the 'Sage'.
- When discussing the character, one might use the term 老爷爷 (lǎoyéye) instead of 老人 (lǎorén) to sound more affectionate and cute when speaking to children.
Examples in context
- 圣诞老人，我想要一个女朋友当圣诞礼物。Dear Santa, I want a girlfriend for Christmas.This sentence shows how to address 圣诞老人 directly.Tatoeba #8759511 by crescat, translation #1344017 by Chrikaru
- 你一旦不做个乖孩子，圣诞老人就不会来噢。If you don't behave, Santa won't come.This sentence illustrates a warning about the behavior of children regarding 圣诞老人.Tatoeba #5100254 by mirrorvan, translation #4525582 by CK
- 汤姆给她看了圣诞老人寄来的信。Tom showed her the letter from Santa Claus.This sentence describes a letter sent by 圣诞老人.Tatoeba #2023737 by fercheung, translation #37032 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A little girl and her father are talking about a Christmas party.
- 俊杰 Junjie晓雯，你想穿成圣诞老人吗？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiǎng chuān chéng Shèngdàn Lǎorén ma?Xiaowen, do you want to dress up as Santa Claus?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen不想，我想穿成公主。Bù xiǎng, wǒ xiǎng chuān chéng gōngzhǔ.No, I want to dress up as a princess.
- 俊杰 Junjie那好吧，圣诞老人也会送礼物的。Nà hǎo ba, Shèngdàn Lǎorén yě huì sòng lǐwù de.Alright then, Santa Claus will bring gifts too.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我真的好期待！Wǒ zhēn de hǎo qīdài!I am really looking forward to it!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
