Ramadan in Chinese 斋月
zhāiyuè
Ramadan in Chinese is 斋月 (zhāi yuè).
Also searched for as: ramadan, fasting, ramadan kareem.
A month of fasting, prayer and charity. 15 words and phrases for Ramadan 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.
Ramadan in Chinese is 斋月 (zhāi yuè), the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Chinese has general terms such as 斋戒 (zhāi jiè), religious fasting, as well as words used by Chinese-speaking Muslims, like 封斋 (fēng zhāi), to keep the fast, and 开斋 (kāi zhāi), to break it. They're useful for talking with Muslim friends and colleagues, whether in China, Malaysia, Singapore or the UK.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 斋月 | zhāi yuè | Ramadan |
| 封斋 | fēng zhāi | to fast (keep the fast) |
| 斋戒 | zhāi jiè | fasting (religious) |
| 封斋饭 | fēng zhāi fàn | suhoor (pre-dawn meal) |
| 开斋 | kāi zhāi | to break the fast |
| 开斋饭 | kāi zhāi fàn | iftar (meal at sunset) |
| 椰枣 | yē zǎo | dates (the fruit) |
| 天亮前 | tiān liàng qián | before dawn |
| 日落 | rì luò | sunset |
| 间歇拜 | jiān xiē bài | taraweeh (Ramadan night prayers) |
| 盖德尔夜 | gài dé ěr yè | the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr) |
| 古兰经 | gǔ lán jīng | the Quran |
| 忍住 | rěn zhù | to resist; to hold back |
| 诱惑 | yòu huò | temptation |
| 回赐 | huí cì | reward (from God) |
Usage tips
- 封斋 (fēng zhāi), literally "seal the fast", and 开斋 (kāi zhāi), "open the fast", bookend each day: 封斋饭 (fēng zhāi fàn) is the pre-dawn meal and 开斋饭 (kāi zhāi fàn) is the iftar at sunset.
- The Islamic calendar is lunar and about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so 斋月 starts earlier each year, which is why people say 斋月的日期每年都不一样.
- If a fasting friend invites you to 开斋饭, arrive before sunset and wait until the fast is broken, traditionally with 椰枣 (yē zǎo), dates, and water, before you start eating.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up 斋月 with 吃斋 (chī zhāi) → 吃斋 means keeping a vegetarian diet, often in a Buddhist context, whereas Ramadan fasting means no food or drink at all during daylight.
- Calling dates 红枣 (hóng zǎo) → 红枣 are jujubes, a different fruit; the dates eaten at iftar are 椰枣 (yē zǎo).
Mini dialogue
- A中午一起去吃饭吧？Zhōng wǔ yī qǐ qù chī fàn ba?Shall we go for lunch together?
- B谢谢，不过现在是斋月，我在封斋。Xiè xie, bù guò xiàn zài shì zhāi yuè, wǒ zài fēng zhāi.Thanks, but it's Ramadan and I'm fasting.
- A哦，对不起。那你什么时候开斋？Ò, duì bù qǐ. Nà nǐ shén me shí hou kāi zhāi?Oh, sorry. So when do you break your fast?
- B太阳下山以后。今天日落是七点半，你要不要来我家吃开斋饭？Tài yáng xià shān yǐ hòu. Jīn tiān rì luò shì qī diǎn bàn, nǐ yào bù yào lái wǒ jiā chī kāi zhāi fàn?After the sun goes down. Sunset's at half seven today. Would you like to come to mine for iftar?
- A好啊，谢谢你！Hǎo a, xiè xie nǐ!I'd love to, thank you!
Example sentences
- 斋月的日期每年都不一样。The dates of Ramadan change every year.
- 我斋月每天都封斋。I fast every day during Ramadan.
- 斋戒是伊斯兰教的五功之一。Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam.
- 我们凌晨四点起来吃封斋饭。We get up at 4 a.m. to eat suhoor.
- 太阳下山以后开斋。You break the fast after sunset.
- 朋友请我去他家吃开斋饭。A friend invited me to his home for iftar.
- 开斋的时候先吃一颗椰枣。You break the fast with a date first.
- 天亮前要吃完封斋饭。You have to finish suhoor before dawn.
- 还有十分钟日落。Ten minutes until sunset.
- 斋月每天晚上都有间歇拜。There are taraweeh prayers every night in Ramadan.
- 盖德尔夜在斋月的最后十天里。The Night of Power falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan.
- 斋月很多人每天读古兰经。During Ramadan many people read the Quran every day.
- 饿的时候要忍住。You have to hold out when you're hungry.
- 斋月要远离诱惑。During Ramadan you keep away from temptation.
- 穆斯林相信斋戒会得到回赐。Muslims believe fasting brings a reward from God.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Ramadan speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Ramadan to prepare your own answers to.