Must Know Words For Chinese Summer Festivals
There are several Chinese festivals that take place every year. If you are traveling to the country this Summer, you may want to keep your eye out for these events. You will also want to get up to date on must know words that will help you communicate with the people you encounter. This article will review the Chinese words you should get to know on your trip.
What Chinese Summer Festivals Should I Attend?
Chinese Summer festivals you may want to attend include:
- The Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival happens on different dates in mid-June. The 2000 year old tradition involves dragon boats races, health related customs and the honouring of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and politician. It is customary to eat sticky rice dumplings during the celebration.
- Double Seventh Day (Chinese Valentine’s Day)
Chinese Valentine’s Day happens on the 7th day of the 7th month of Chinese lunar calendar. Hence, the alternate name is Double Seventh Day. It falls around mid-August and it is based on a well-known story about a weaver girl and an ox herd. It is celebrated with giving gifts like flowers and chocolates and by going on dates with romantic partners.
Must Know Words for Chinese Summer Festivals
If you plan on visiting China to enjoy the Summer festivals, it’s essential to be familiar with the Chinese language. Particularly, there are a few Chinese words that you will want to get acquainted with.
We will provide the meaning of the Chinese words in English as well as their Chinese translation. If you are taking the trip, you may also want to learn some Chinese letters, but that’s a lesson for another day!
Must Know Phrases
These are must know phrases of the Chinese language that will come in handy when you are at festivals and want to wish somebody well.
- Happy Holidays: It’s easy to see why happy holidays would be must know words during a Chinese festival. The phrase’s Chinese translation is guonian hao.
- Wishing You Good Fortune: It’s customary in Chinese culture for people to wish each other good fortune during a celebration. This is expressed in the Chinese word, gongxifacai which means wish you prosperity and wealth.
- May All Your Wishes Come True: These are other must know words you will want to get familiar with when you learn Chinese. The Chinese translation is zhu xinxiang-shicheng.
- Wishing You Good Health: Good health and the Chinese culture go hand in hand. To wish someone wellness, say jing shenti jiankang which means in good health or body.
Must Know Foods
Chinese foods are other must know words. After all, you will want to know what you are eating and ordering when you attend festivals. Some Chinese words related to food you should get familiar with when you learn Chinese include:
- Dumplings: Dumplings are a Chinese culture classic. The word for them is tangyuan.
- Fish: Fish is a sign of surplus and wealth in Chinese culture. It’s also pretty simple to say in the Chinese language. The word is yu.
- Spring rolls: When in China, you won’t want to miss out on a chance to eat authentic spring rolls. When asking for them in the Chinese language, say chunjuan.
- Fruit: There are several fruits that are popular in Chinese culture. These include tangerines (juzi), oranges (chengzi) and pomelo (youzi).
Other Must Know Words
Now here are some must know words that you will also need to get around the country.
- Hello: It’s easy to see why hello is one of China’s must know words. The most basic of Chinese words for hello is ni hao.
- No: When in China, you may get offers from pushy cab drivers and salesman. That’s why no is an important word in Chinese culture. Bu yao to means, don’t want it/don’t need it. The Chinese words xiexie are a little more polite and mean ‘no thank you’ in Chinese translation.
- Thank You: You will want to show people that you are polite. You can do so with the must know words xie xie which mean thank you.
- Goodbye: To say goodbye in the Chinese language, say zai jian.
- Right or Correct: The word dui can substitute yeah, right or correct in the Chinese language.
- Toilet: When you learn Chinese, you will definitely want to find out how to say toilet. It’s cesuo.
- Excuse Me: China tends to have crowded streets. You will make your way around more easily if you are familiar with the term dui bu qi, or excuse me.
A Word About Chinese Letters
As mentioned earlier, we are not going into Chinese letters in this article. But here are a few tips for understanding Chinese letters when you learn Chinese:
- Break Them Down: Chinese letters are made of components. If you break them down, they will be easier to understand.
- Chinese Culture Can Help with Chinese Translation: Study Chinese culture to find out how the Chinese letters evolved. This will aid with understanding.
- Practice Makes Perfect: You will learn Chinese letters better if you write them often. Concentrate on must know words to make communicating easier.
How Renaissance Translations Can Help
The Chinese language is not easy to master. If you are struggling to understand must know words, Renaissance Translations can help with professional Chinese translation services. Our services include translation, proofreading, audio transcription, voiceover, subtitling and more. We can assist you if you are trying to learn Chinese or need to communicate with Chinese speakers, whether it be for business or pleasure.
Visiting China for the Summer can be a lot of fun. Now that you are familiar with the must know words of Chinese culture, you have your work cut out for you. Contact Renaissance Translations for the assistance you need in mastering the language, so you are sure to have a great trip.
