平安和喜乐！ Píng ān hé xǐ lè! Peace and Joy! Talking about the Holiday Season in Chinese
In this post we’ll learn vocabulary and expressions that you can use to talk about the holiday season in Chinese. First we’ll learn holiday greetings that you can use for Christmas and Hanukkah. Then we’ll look at vocabulary that you can use to talk about holiday decorations. After that we’ll learn how to talk about gifts and gift giving in Chinese. Next we’ll learn how to talk about the holiday spirit. Finally, we’ll learn how to wish people a happy new year in Chinese and how to talk about new year’s celebrations.
Greetings for the Holiday Season in Chinese
The first thing you may want to know how to say is of course Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah. Here are some other expressions you can use to wish people well during the holiday season.
- 圣诞节快乐！
Shèng dàn jié kuài lè!
Merry Christmas! - 光明节快乐！
Guāng míng jié kuài lè!
Happy Hanukkah! - 享受假期吧！
Xiǎng shòu jiǎ qī ba!
Enjoy the Holidays!
- 你庆祝圣诞节/光明节吗？
Nǐ qìng zhù shèng dàn jié / guāng míng jié ma?
Do you celebrate Christmas/Hanukkah? - 享受一年中的这个时候！
Xiǎng shòu yì nián zhōng de zhè gè shí hòu!
Enjoy this time of year! - 我希望你有一个美好的十二月。
Wǒ xī wàng nǐ yǒu yí ge měi hǎo de shí èr yuè.
I hope you have a good December. - 我希望你能见到你的朋友和家人。
Wǒ xī wàng nǐ néng jiàn dào nǐ de péng yǒu hé jiā rén.
I hope you see your friends and family. - 祝您平安、健康、幸福！
Zhù nín píng ān, jiàn kāng, xìng fú!
I wish you peace, health, and happiness! - 我希望你能得到很多礼物。
Wǒ xī wàng nǐ néng dé dào hěn duō lǐ wù.
I hope you get a lot of presents.
Decorations during the Holiday Season in Chinese
Lots of people put up decorations this time of year, so you may want to say: 圣诞树 shèng dàn shù (Christmas tree), 烛台 zhú tái (menorah), 星星 xīng xīng (star), 蜡烛 là zhú (candle), 钟 zhōng (bell), 彩灯 cǎi dēng (colorful lights), 耶稣诞生场景 Yesū dàn shēng chǎng jǐng (nativity scene), 婴孩耶稣 yīng hái yé sū (baby Jesus), 天使 tiān shǐ (angel), 三王 sān wáng (three kings), 圣诞老人 Shèng dàn lǎo rén (Santa Claus), 雪人 xuě rén (snowman), 驯鹿 xún lù (reindeer).
- 这个周末我们要买一棵圣诞树。
Zhè go zhōu mò wǒ men yào mǎi yìkē shèng dàn shù.
We’re going to buy a Christmas tree this weekend. - 我们来装饰圣诞树吧。
Wǒ men lái zhuāng shì shèng dàn shù ba.
Let’s decorate the Christmas tree. - 我们点亮烛台吧。
Wǒ men diǎn liàng zhú tái ba.
Let’s light the menorah. - 烛台有九根蜡烛。
Zhú tái yǒu jiǔ gēn là zhú.
A menorah has nine candles. - 房子里有五颜六色的灯。
Fáng zi lǐ yǒu wǔ yán liù sè de dēng.
There are colorful lights on the house. - 圣诞树装饰品很漂亮。
Shèng dàn shù zhuāng shì pǐn hěn piào liàng.
The Christmas tree ornaments are beautiful. - 我们每年都会搭建一个马槽/耶稣诞生场景。
Wǒ men měi nián dōu huì dā jiàn yíge mǎ cáo / yé sū dàn shēng chǎng jǐng.
We put up a manger/nativity scene every year. - 我的家人摆出光明节装饰品。
Wǒ de jiā rén bǎi chū guāng míng jié zhuāng shì pǐn.
My family puts up Hanukkah decorations.
Holiday Gifts
Exchanging presents is of course a big part of the holiday season, so you may want to say: 礼物 lǐ wù (gift/present), 包装纸 bāo zhuāng zhǐ (wrapping paper), 卡片 kǎ piàn (card).
- 我要给很多朋友和亲戚买礼物。
Wǒ yào gěi hěn duō péng yǒu hé qīn qī mǎi lǐ wù.
I have to buy gifts for a lot of friends and relatives. - 我有礼物送给你。
Wǒ yǒu lǐ wù sòng gěi nǐ.
I got a present for you. - 你给我带来了什么？
Nǐ gěi wǒ dài lái le shén me?
What did you get for me? - 打开你的礼物吧。
Dǎ kāi nǐ de lǐ wù ba.
Unwrap your present. - 这是一个很棒的礼物！
Zhè shì yíge hěn bàng de lǐ wù!
This is a great present! - 你是如此慷慨/体贴。
Nǐ shì rú cǐ kāng kǎi / tǐ tiē.
You’re so generous/thoughtful. - 我爱我的礼物。
Wǒ ài wǒ de lǐ wù.
I love my present. - 我亲手为你做这份礼物。
Wǒ qīn shǒu wèi nǐ zuò zhè fèn lǐ wù.
I made this gift for you myself. - 圣诞老人在圣诞树下留下了礼物。
Shèng dàn lǎo rén zài shèng dàn shù xià liú xià le lǐ wù.
Santa Claus left gifts under the Christmas tree. - 我们收到八份光明节礼物。
Wǒ men shōu dào bā fèn guāng míng jié lǐ wù.
We get eight gifts for Hanukkah.
The Spirit of the Holiday Season in Chinese
The holiday season means different things to different people.
- 我喜欢节日。
Wǒ xǐ huān jié rì.
I love the holiday season. - 到处都是圣诞音乐。
Dào chù dōushì shèng dàn yīn lè.
There is Christmas music everywhere. - 我期待着假期。
Wǒ qí dài zhe jià qī.
I’m looking forward to the holiday. - 我爱圣诞节。
Wǒ ài Shèng dàn jié.
I love Christmas. - 我很高兴看到我的家人参加光明节。
Wǒ hěn gāo xìng kàn dào wǒ de jiā rén cān jiā guāng míng jié.
I’m excited to see my family for Hanukkah. - 我希望地球和平。
Wǒ xī wàng dì qiú hé píng.
I hope for peace on earth. - 我们正在为贫困家庭捐赠礼物。
Wǒ men zhèng zài wèi pín kùn jiā tíng juān zèng lǐ wù.
We’re donating gifts for poor families. - 向需要食物的人提供食物很重要。
Xiàng xū yào shí wù de rén tí gōng shí wù hěn zhòng yào.
It’s important to give food to people who need it. - 我感谢我的家人和朋友。
Wǒ gǎn xiè wǒ de jiā rén hé péng yǒu.
I’m thankful for my family and friends.
Happy New Year in Chinese
Soon enough, the year will come to an end, and people everywhere will drink a toast to the new year. So you’ll want to know how to wish people a happy new year in Chinese, and how to talk about all of the festivities.
- 你要去参加跨年晚会吗？
Nǐ yào qù cān jiā kuà nián wǎn huì ma?
Are you going to a New Year’s Eve party? - 我们和家人朋友一起吃了一顿丰盛的晚餐。
Wǒ men hé jiā rén péng yǒu yì qǐ chī le yí dùn fēng shèng de wǎn cān.
We eat a big dinner with family and friends. - 我邀请朋友参加聚会。
Wǒ yāo qǐng péng yǒu cān jiā jù huì.
I’m inviting friends to a party. - 新年快乐！
Xīn nián kuài lè!
Happy New Year! - 半夜了，我们来喝香槟吧！
Bàn yè le, wǒ men lái hē xiāng bīn ba!
It’s midnight, let’s drink champagne! - 干杯!
Gān bēi !
Cheers! - 新的一年平安、健康、快乐！
Xīn de yìnián píng ān, jiàn kāng, kuài lè!
Peace, health, and happiness in the new year! - 你的新年愿望是什么？
Nǐ de xīn nián yuàn wàng shì shén me?
What are your New Year’s Resolutions? - 我想在新的一年保持好身材。
Wǒ xiǎng zài xīn de yì nián bǎo chí hǎo shēn cái.
I want to get in shape in the new year. - 我想在新的一年里学习一门新语言。
Wǒ xiǎng zài xīn de yì nián lǐ xué xí yī mén xīn yǔ yán.
I want to learn a new language in the new year. - 祝你在新的一年里圆满成功。
Zhù nǐ zài xīn de yì nián lǐ yuán mǎn chéng gōng.
I wish you great success in the new year. - 我希望你在新的一年里很开心。
Wǒ xī wàng nǐ zài xīn de yì nián lǐ hěn kāi xīn.
I hope you are very happy in the new year.
No matter what holiday you celebrate, we wish you great health and happiness, and a very happy new year in Chinese 新年快乐！Xīn nián kuài lè!
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