Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in Chinese 年夜饭
niányèfàn
New Year's Eve dinner in Chinese is 年夜饭 (nián yè fàn).
Also searched for as: reunion dinner, Chinese New Year dinner, Lunar New Year's Eve dinner, nian ye fan, CNY reunion meal.
The biggest family meal of the whole year. 15 words and phrases for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner 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.
Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is 年夜饭 (nián yè fàn), also called 团圆饭 (tuán yuán fàn), the reunion dinner on 除夕 (chú xī). It's the most important family meal of the year, and almost every dish carries a wish: fish for 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú), rice cake for rising fortunes and, in the north, dumplings made together at home. These words help you join in, make a toast and follow the table etiquette.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 年夜饭 | nián yè fàn | New Year's Eve dinner |
| 除夕 | chú xī | Chinese New Year's Eve |
| 团圆 | tuán yuán | to be together as a family |
| 团圆饭 | tuán yuán fàn | reunion dinner |
| 一桌菜 | yī zhuō cài | a whole table of dishes |
| 包饺子 | bāo jiǎo zi | to make dumplings |
| 硬币 | yìng bì | coin |
| 鱼 | yú | fish |
| 年年有余 | nián nián yǒu yú | may you have plenty every year |
| 年糕 | nián gāo | New Year rice cake |
| 长辈 | zhǎng bèi | elders; older relatives |
| 敬酒 | jìng jiǔ | to toast (someone) |
| 干杯 | gān bēi | cheers |
| 订年夜饭 | dìng nián yè fàn | to book New Year's Eve dinner (at a restaurant) |
| 守岁 | shǒu suì | to stay up all night to see in the New Year |
Usage tips
- Fish is served because 鱼 (yú) sounds like 余 (yú), "surplus"; families often leave some uneaten so there's literally fish left over, a wish for plenty in the year ahead.
- 敬酒 (jìng jiǔ) has its own etiquette: the younger person stands, holds their glass a little lower than the elder's and adds a wish such as 祝您身体健康 (zhù nín shēn tǐ jiàn kāng); 干杯 (gān bēi) literally means "dry the glass", but a sip is fine.
- 守岁 (shǒu suì) means staying up past midnight to see in the New Year; many families do it with the TV on, snacks on the table and, in the north, dumplings at midnight.
Common mistakes
- Translating New Year's Eve literally as 新年前夜 → say 除夕 (chú xī), or 大年三十 (dà nián sān shí) in everyday speech.
- Reading 长辈 as cháng bèi → 长 is zhǎng here, as in 长大 (zhǎng dà); and wait for the 长辈 (zhǎng bèi) to 动筷子 (dòng kuài zi), pick up their chopsticks, before you start eating.
Mini dialogue
- A今年的年夜饭在哪儿吃？Jīn nián de nián yè fàn zài nǎr chī?Where are we having New Year's Eve dinner this year?
- B在奶奶家。她已经做了满满一桌菜了。Zài nǎi nai jiā. Tā yǐ jīng zuò le mǎn mǎn yī zhuō cài le.At Grandma's. She's already made a whole table of dishes.
- A太好了！我们晚上一起包饺子吧。Tài hǎo le! Wǒ men wǎn shang yī qǐ bāo jiǎo zi ba.Great! Let's make dumplings together this evening.
- B好，我要在一个饺子里包个硬币。Hǎo, wǒ yào zài yī gè jiǎo zi li bāo gè yìng bì.OK, I'm going to hide a coin in one of them.
- A来，先给爷爷奶奶敬酒，干杯！Lái, xiān gěi yé ye nǎi nai jìng jiǔ, gān bēi!Right, first a toast to Grandma and Grandpa. Cheers!
Example sentences
- 今年的年夜饭在奶奶家吃。This year we're having New Year's Eve dinner at Grandma's.
- 除夕晚上全家人都要回来。The whole family has to come home on New Year's Eve.
- 一家人团圆最重要。What matters most is the family being together.
- 我们家的团圆饭特别丰盛。Our family's reunion dinner is a real feast.
- 妈妈做了满满一桌菜。Mum made a table full of dishes.
- 很多北方人除夕晚上一起包饺子。In the north, lots of families make dumplings together on New Year's Eve.
- 谁吃到包硬币的饺子，谁就有好运。Whoever gets the dumpling with a coin inside has good luck.
- 鱼要留一点，不能全吃完。You leave a bit of the fish; you mustn't finish it all.
- 吃鱼代表年年有余。Eating fish stands for having plenty every year.
- 年糕代表一年比一年高。Rice cake stands for doing better every year.
- 吃饭要等长辈先动筷子。You wait for the elders to start eating first.
- 年夜饭上晚辈要给长辈敬酒。At New Year's Eve dinner, the younger ones toast their elders.
- 来，大家干杯！新年快乐！Come on, cheers everyone! Happy New Year!
- 现在很多人在饭店订年夜饭。Lots of people book New Year's Eve dinner at a restaurant now.
- 小时候我总想守岁，可是总睡着。As a kid I always wanted to stay up all night, but I always fell asleep.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Chinese New Year's Eve dinner to prepare your own answers to.