Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Fall is here, so let’s look at some Chinese vocabulary and expressions that will come in handy this time of year.
颜色 Yán sè Colors
树叶 shù yè leaves and 美丽的颜色 měi lì de yán sè beautiful colors are probably two of the first things that you think about when you think of fall. 红叶 hóng yè red leaves, 橙色叶子 chéng sè yè zi orange leaves, 黄叶 huáng yè yellow leaves, 金叶 jīn yè gold leaves are everywhere at first, and then 棕色的树叶落在地上 zōng sè de shù yè luò zài dì shàng brown leaves fall to the ground. Here is some leaf-peeping vocabulary in Chinese.
- 树叶慢慢变色。
Shù yè màn man biàn sè.
The leaves are changing color. - 每年这个时候树木都很美。
Měi nián zhè gè shí hou shù mù dōu hěn měi.
The trees are beautiful this time of year.
- 整个山坡都是金色的。
Zhěng gè shān pō dōu shì jīn sè de.
The whole hillside is gold. - 树叶正在慢慢掉落。
Shù yè zhèng zài màn man diào luò.
The leaves are falling off the trees.
天气越来越冷了。 Tiān qì yuè lái yuè lěng le. It’s getting colder.
凉爽的天气 liáng shuǎng de tiān qì cool Weather is probably the other thing that you first think of when you think of fall. If you live in a place where the seasons change a lot, you may want to say:
- 天气很凉爽。
Tiān qì hěn liáng shuǎng.
The weather is cool. - 多雨多云。
Duō yǔ duō yún.
It’s rainy and cloudy. - 白天和晚上都很冷。
Bái tiān hé wǎn shang dōu hěn lěng.
The days are chilly and the nights are cold. - 风吹着树叶。
Fēng chuī zhe shù yè.
The wind is blowing the leaves. - 天空是灰色的。
Tiān kōng shì huī sè de.
The sky is gray.
白天越来越短了。 Bái tiān yuè lái yuè duǎn le. The days are getting shorter.
With shorter fall days, you may want to say:
- 夏令时是什么时候？
Xià lìng shí shì shén me shí hou?
When is daylight savings time? - 你记得把表倒拨回去了吗？
Nǐ jì de bǎ biǎo dào bō huí qù le ma?
Did you remember to turn your clock back? - 天很早就黑了。
Tiān hěn zǎo jiù hēi le.
It gets dark early. - 太阳落得很早。
Tài yáng luò de hěn zǎo.
The sun sets early. - 阳光比较少。
Yáng guāng bǐ jiào shǎo.
There’s less sunlight.
秋装 Qiū zhuāng Autumn clothes
All of these fall changes probably mean a change in your wardrobe, too.
- 我不再需要短裤和T恤了。
Wǒ bú zài xū yào duǎn kù hé T-xù le.
I don’t need my shorts and tee shirts. - 我穿上了毛衣。
Wǒ chuān shang le máo yī.
I’m putting on a sweater. - 我需要穿件夹克/外套。
Wǒ xū yào chuān jiàn jiá kè/ wài tào.
I need to wear a jacket. - 我需要戴帽子和穿雨衣。
Wǒ xū yào dài mào zi hé chuān yǔ yī.
I need to wear a hat and a raincoat. - 我的伞在哪里？
Wǒ de sǎn zài nǎ lǐ?
Where’s my umbrella? - 我们在床上多放一条毯子吧。
Wǒ men zài chuáng shang duō fàng yī tiáo tǎn zi ba.
Let’s put an extra blanket on the bed.
宁静的夜晚 Níng jìng de yè wǎn Calm, Quiet Evenings
Many people find fall to be the most relaxing season, and other people find it to be a bit sad.
- 我今晚待在家里。
Wǒ jīn wǎn dāi zài jiā lǐ.
I’m staying in tonight. - 今晚我读了一本好书。
Jīn wǎn wǒ dú le yī běn hǎo shū.
I’m reading a good book tonight. - 我在喝茶。
Wǒ zài hē chá.
I’m drinking a cup of tea. - 秋天我睡得比较早。
Qiū tiān wǒ shuì de bǐ jiào zǎo.
I go to bed earlier in the fall. - 秋天我总是有点儿忧郁。
Qiū tiān wǒ zǒng shì yǒu diǎnr yōu yù.
I always get sad in the fall. - 我想念阳光和漫漫夏天的日子。
Wǒ xiǎng niàn yáng guāng hé màn màn xià tiān de rì zǐ.
I miss the sun and the long days of summer. - 秋天让我有点儿压抑。
Qiū tiān ràng wǒ yǒu diǎnr yā yì.
Fall depresses me.
Whether you say 我喜欢秋天，这是我最喜欢的季节！ Wǒ xǐ huan qiū tiān, zhè shì wǒ zuì xǐ huan de jì jié! I love fall, it’s my favorite season! or 我不喜欢秋天，它又黑又冷又压抑。Wǒ bù xǐ huan qiū tiān, tā yòu hēi yòu lěng yòu yā yì. I don’t like fall, it’s dark and cold and depressing, we wish you a happy and healthy season.
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