Diwali in Chinese 排灯节
páidēngjié
Diwali in Chinese is 排灯节 (pái dēng jié).
Also searched for as: deepavali, festival of lights, happy diwali.
The festival of lights. 15 words and phrases for Diwali in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Diwali in Chinese is 排灯节 (pái dēng jié), literally "rows of lamps festival", the Hindu festival of lights celebrated in autumn and also marked by many Sikhs and Jains. Homes are lit with 油灯 (yóu dēng), oil lamps, doorways are decorated with 彩粉画 (cǎi fěn huà), rangoli, and families share 甜点 (tián diǎn) and fireworks to celebrate light overcoming darkness. It's widely celebrated in Singapore and Malaysia, where it's known as Deepavali.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 排灯节 | pái dēng jié | Diwali |
| 印度教 | yìn dù jiào | Hinduism |
| 光明节 | guāng míng jié | festival of lights |
| 油灯 | yóu dēng | oil lamp (diya) |
| 光明 | guāng míng | light (as opposed to darkness) |
| 黑暗 | hēi àn | darkness |
| 烟花 | yān huā | fireworks |
| 甜点 | tián diǎn | sweets |
| 彩粉画 | cǎi fěn huà | rangoli (coloured powder patterns) |
| 拉克什米 | Lā kè shí mǐ | Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) |
| 打扫 | dǎ sǎo | to clean |
| 新衣服 | xīn yī fu | new clothes |
| 祈福 | qí fú | to pray for blessings |
| 印度人 | yìn dù rén | Indian people |
| 节日快乐 | jié rì kuài lè | happy festival |
Usage tips
- Chinese-language media in Singapore and Malaysia often call the festival 屠妖节 (tú yāo jié), "festival of slaying the demon", after one of its legends, so you may come across both names.
- 光明节 (guāng míng jié) is sometimes used to describe Diwali, but it's also the standard Chinese name for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, so 排灯节 is the clearer choice.
- 祈福 (qí fú), to pray for blessings, is a neutral word used across religions; at Diwali many families pray to 拉克什米 (Lā kè shí mǐ), the goddess of wealth, for prosperity in the year ahead.
Common mistakes
- Assuming everyone who celebrates is 印度人 (yìn dù rén) → Diwali is celebrated by people of many nationalities; if you mean religion, say 印度教徒 (yìn dù jiào tú), Hindus.
- Calling Diwali sweets 糖果 (táng guǒ) → 糖果 means boiled sweets and similar confectionery; the milky, nutty treats shared at Diwali are better called 甜点 (tián diǎn) or 印度甜点.
Mini dialogue
- A你家门口的彩粉画真漂亮！Nǐ jiā mén kǒu de cǎi fěn huà zhēn piào liang!The rangoli by your door is beautiful!
- B谢谢！明天是排灯节，我们要点油灯。Xiè xie! Míng tiān shì pái dēng jié, wǒ men yào diǎn yóu dēng.Thanks! It's Diwali tomorrow, so we'll be lighting oil lamps.
- A我听说排灯节是庆祝光明战胜黑暗的。Wǒ tīng shuō pái dēng jié shì qìng zhù guāng míng zhàn shèng hēi àn de.I've heard Diwali celebrates light defeating darkness.
- B对。明天晚上来我家吃甜点吧！排灯节快乐！Duì. Míng tiān wǎn shang lái wǒ jiā chī tián diǎn ba! Pái dēng jié kuài lè!That's right. Come round for sweets tomorrow evening! Happy Diwali!
Example sentences
- 排灯节是印度最大的节日。Diwali is India's biggest festival.
- 排灯节是印度教的节日。Diwali is a Hindu festival.
- 排灯节也叫光明节。Diwali is also called the festival of lights.
- 家家户户点油灯。Every home lights oil lamps.
- 这个节日庆祝光明战胜黑暗。The festival celebrates light over darkness.
- 光明总会战胜黑暗。Light always overcomes darkness.
- 排灯节的晚上到处都是烟花。There are fireworks everywhere on Diwali night.
- 大家互相送甜点。People give each other sweets.
- 门口有漂亮的彩粉画。There's a beautiful rangoli by the door.
- 人们向拉克什米祈福。People pray to Lakshmi for blessings.
- 节日前要打扫房子。You clean the house before the festival.
- 大家穿上新衣服。Everyone wears new clothes.
- 一家人一起祈福。The family prays for blessings together.
- 伦敦的印度人也过排灯节。Indian people in London celebrate Diwali too.
- 排灯节快乐！Happy Diwali!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Diwali speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Diwali to prepare your own answers to.