Mother's Day & Father's Day in Chinese 母亲节和父亲节

mǔqīn jié hé fùqīn jié

Happy Mother's Day in Chinese is 母亲节快乐 (mǔ qīn jié kuài lè).

Also searched for as: Happy Mother's Day in Chinese, Happy Father's Day in Chinese, Mothering Sunday, Mum's Day, Dad's Day.

A day to say what you usually don't. 15 words and phrases for Mother's Day & Father's Day 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.

Mother's Day in Chinese is 母亲节 (mǔ qīn jié) and Father's Day is 父亲节 (fù qīn jié). Both are imported holidays, but they're now widely marked in mainland China on the same Sundays as in the US. These words help you write a card, send a message or simply say thank you, from the heartfelt 辛苦了 (xīn kǔ le) to the affectionate 老妈 (lǎo mā) and 老爸 (lǎo bà).

Usage tips

• 母亲 and 父亲 are formal, written words; in speech you say 妈妈 (mā ma) and 爸爸 (bà ba), or affectionately 老妈 and 老爸. The festival names keep the formal form, so the greeting is 母亲节快乐 (mǔ qīn jié kuài lè), but you address the card to 妈妈.
• 辛苦了 (xīn kǔ le) is the go-to way to thank parents because it acknowledges everything they've put in; many Chinese families find it far easier to say than 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), which plenty of people find 说不出口 (shuō bù chū kǒu).
• Dates vary: in Taiwan, Father's Day is on 8 August because 八八 (bā bā) sounds like 爸爸 (bà ba), and the UK's Mothering Sunday falls in March or early April. Carnations are counted with 束 (shù), as in 一束康乃馨 (yī shù kāng nǎi xīn), a bunch of carnations.

Common mistakes

• Calling your own mum 母亲 in conversation sounds stiff, like "Mother" in a period drama → say 妈 (mā), 妈妈 (mā ma) or 老妈 (lǎo mā).
• Using 老妈 or 老爸 for someone else's parents is too familiar → say 你妈妈 (nǐ mā ma), or address them directly as 阿姨 (ā yí) and 叔叔 (shū shu).
• Copying English word order and saying 快乐母亲节 → the greeting is 母亲节快乐 (mǔ qīn jié kuài lè), with 快乐 at the end.

Mini dialogue

1. A明天是母亲节，你给你妈准备礼物了吗？Míng tiān shì mǔ qīn jié, nǐ gěi nǐ mā zhǔn bèi lǐ wù le ma?Tomorrow's Mother's Day. Have you got your mum a present?
2. B我买了一束康乃馨，还做了一张贺卡。Wǒ mǎi le yī shù kāng nǎi xīn, hái zuò le yī zhāng hè kǎ.I've bought a bunch of carnations and made a card as well.
3. A真好！你在贺卡上写了什么？Zhēn hǎo! Nǐ zài hè kǎ shang xiě le shén me?Lovely! What did you write in it?
4. B就写了"妈妈，辛苦了"。"我爱你"我还是说不出口。Jiù xiě le "mā ma, xīn kǔ le". "Wǒ ài nǐ" wǒ hái shì shuō bù chū kǒu.Just "Mum, thank you for everything". I still can't bring myself to say "I love you".
5. A没关系，你妈看了一定很感动。Méi guān xi, nǐ mā kàn le yī dìng hěn gǎn dòng.Never mind, your mum will be really touched when she reads it.

Example sentences

• 中国的母亲节是五月的第二个星期天。In China, Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May.
• 父亲节是六月的第三个星期天。Father's Day is the third Sunday in June.
• 妈妈，母亲节快乐！我爱你！Happy Mother's Day, Mum! I love you!
• 爸爸，父亲节快乐！Happy Father's Day, Dad!
• 我老妈最爱吃巧克力。My mum loves chocolate more than anything.
• 老爸平时话不多，但很疼我。My dad doesn't say much, but he really loves me.
• 母亲节很多人送康乃馨。Lots of people give carnations on Mother's Day.
• 我给爸爸做了一张贺卡。I made Dad a card.
• 妈妈，这些年辛苦了。Mum, thank you for everything you've done all these years.
• 母亲节是感恩妈妈的日子。Mother's Day is a day to show Mum how grateful we are.
• 他很孝顺，每周都给父母打电话。He's very good to his parents and calls them every week.
• 父亲节我想多陪陪爸爸。On Father's Day I want to spend more time with Dad.
• "我爱你"这三个字我总是说不出口。I can never bring myself to say "I love you".
• 母爱是最伟大的。A mother's love is the greatest thing there is.
• 都说父爱如山，我爸就是这样。They say a father's love is like a mountain, and that's my dad.

Practise speaking

Ready to use these words? The Mother's Day & Father's Day speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Mother's Day & Father's Day to prepare your own answers to.

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