Lantern Festival in Chinese 元宵节
Yuánxiāojié
Lantern Festival in Chinese is 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié).
Also searched for as: yuanxiao, lantern, tangyuan.
The last night of New Year. 15 words and phrases for Lantern Festival 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.
The Lantern Festival in Chinese is 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié), held on 正月十五 (zhēng yuè shí wǔ), the first full moon of the lunar year, and it brings the New Year celebrations to a close. Families eat sweet rice balls, called 元宵 (yuán xiāo) in the north and 汤圆 (tāng yuán) in the south, then head out to admire the lanterns and 猜灯谜 (cāi dēng mí), guess the riddles hung on them.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 元宵节 | Yuán xiāo jié | Lantern Festival |
| 正月十五 | Zhēng yuè shí wǔ | 15th day of the first lunar month |
| 元宵 | yuán xiāo | yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) |
| 汤圆 | tāng yuán | tangyuan (sweet rice balls) |
| 花灯 | huā dēng | decorative lantern |
| 灯会 | dēng huì | lantern fair |
| 猜灯谜 | cāi dēng mí | to guess lantern riddles |
| 灯谜 | dēng mí | lantern riddle |
| 舞龙 | wǔ lóng | dragon dance |
| 舞狮 | wǔ shī | lion dance |
| 踩高跷 | cǎi gāo qiāo | to walk on stilts |
| 团圆 | tuán yuán | family reunion |
| 圆月 | yuán yuè | full moon |
| 年过完了 | nián guò wán le | New Year is over |
| 热闹 | rè nao | lively |
Usage tips
- 元宵 and 汤圆 are made differently: 元宵 are rolled in dry rice flour around a firm filling, while 汤圆 are wrapped by hand from a soft dough, although many people use the two words interchangeably.
- 汤圆 (tāng yuán) sounds like 团圆 (tuán yuán), "family reunion", which is why the dish stands for togetherness; sound puns like this run through Chinese festival food.
- In Singapore and Malaysia the festival is also known by its Hokkien name, Chap Goh Mei, when young single women traditionally toss mandarin oranges into the water in the hope of finding a partner.
Common mistakes
- Reading 正月 as zhèng yuè → in the name of the first lunar month 正 takes the first tone: zhēng yuè.
- Saying 吃元宵节 → you eat 元宵 but celebrate 元宵节: say 吃元宵 (chī yuán xiāo) and 过元宵节 (guò yuán xiāo jié).
Mini dialogue
- A今天是元宵节，晚上去看灯会吧！Jīn tiān shì yuán xiāo jié, wǎn shang qù kàn dēng huì ba!It's the Lantern Festival today. Let's go to the lantern fair tonight!
- B好啊，听说还可以猜灯谜。Hǎo a, tīng shuō hái kě yǐ cāi dēng mí.Sure, I heard you can guess riddles there too.
- A对，猜对了有小礼物。去之前先在家吃汤圆。Duì, cāi duì le yǒu xiǎo lǐ wù. Qù zhī qián xiān zài jiā chī tāng yuán.Yes, and you get a little prize if you get one right. Let's have tangyuan at home before we go.
- B太好了，我要芝麻馅儿的！Tài hǎo le, wǒ yào zhī ma xiànr de!Great, I want the sesame ones!
- A过了今天，年就过完了。Guò le jīn tiān, nián jiù guò wán le.After today, New Year's officially over.
Example sentences
- 元宵节是正月十五。The Lantern Festival is on the 15th of the first lunar month.
- 正月十五晚上大家一起看月亮。On the night of the 15th of the first month, everyone looks at the moon together.
- 北方人吃元宵，南方人吃汤圆。Northerners eat yuanxiao, southerners eat tangyuan.
- 我喜欢芝麻馅儿的汤圆。I like sesame-filled tangyuan.
- 街上挂满了花灯。The streets are full of lanterns.
- 我们晚上去看灯会。We're going to the lantern fair tonight.
- 猜对灯谜可以拿小礼物。Guess a riddle right and you get a little prize.
- 这个灯谜太难了。This riddle is too hard.
- 街上有人舞龙。There's a dragon dance in the street.
- 舞狮的时候要敲锣打鼓。Lion dances come with gongs and drums.
- 踩高跷的表演很好看。The stilt-walking show is great.
- 元宵节也是团圆的日子。The Lantern Festival is also a day for family reunions.
- 一家人看着圆月吃汤圆。The family eats tangyuan under the full moon.
- 过了元宵节，年就过完了。After the Lantern Festival, New Year is over.
- 元宵节晚上特别热闹。The night of the Lantern Festival is really lively.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Lantern Festival speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Lantern Festival to prepare your own answers to.