Remembrance Day in Chinese 国殇纪念日
guó shāng jìniànrì
Remembrance Day in Chinese is 国殇纪念日 (guó shāng jì niàn rì).
Also searched for as: Armistice Day, Poppy Day, Remembrance Sunday, Veterans Day, lest we forget.
Poppies and two minutes' silence on 11 November. 15 words and phrases for Remembrance 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.
Remembrance Day in Chinese is 国殇纪念日 (guó shāng jì niàn rì), observed on 11 November in the UK and across the Commonwealth to honour those who died in war. The key words are 罂粟花 (yīng sù huā), the poppy people wear, 默哀 (mò āi), the two minutes' silence, and 纪念 (jì niàn), to commemorate. These terms help you explain the day respectfully to Chinese-speaking friends and colleagues.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 国殇纪念日 | guó shāng jì niàn rì | Remembrance Day |
| 罂粟花 | yīng sù huā | poppy |
| 默哀 | mò āi | to stand in silence (in mourning) |
| 纪念 | jì niàn | to commemorate; to remember |
| 停战 | tíng zhàn | armistice; ceasefire |
| 一战 | yī zhàn | the First World War |
| 二战 | èr zhàn | the Second World War |
| 士兵 | shì bīng | soldier |
| 牺牲 | xī shēng | to give one's life; to sacrifice |
| 老兵 | lǎo bīng | veteran |
| 纪念碑 | jì niàn bēi | memorial; monument |
| 花圈 | huā quān | wreath |
| 敬礼 | jìng lǐ | to salute |
| 和平 | hé píng | peace |
| 永志不忘 | yǒng zhì bù wàng | we will never forget; lest we forget |
Usage tips
- 默哀 (mò āi) is used with a length of time, as in 默哀两分钟 (mò āi liǎng fēn zhōng); at a ceremony you may hear 全体默哀 (quán tǐ mò āi), "all observe a silence".
- 纪念 (jì niàn) is very versatile: it's the verb "to commemorate", it forms nouns like 纪念日 and 纪念碑 (jì niàn bēi), a memorial, and it also appears in 纪念品 (jì niàn pǐn), a souvenir.
- 一战 (yī zhàn) and 二战 (èr zhàn) are the everyday short forms; the full names are 第一次世界大战 and 第二次世界大战. Many Chinese speakers won't know the name 国殇纪念日, so explaining it as the anniversary of the 一战停战 (yī zhàn tíng zhàn), the WWI armistice, helps.
Common mistakes
- Writing 记念 → the correct character is 纪 (jì), giving 纪念, even though 记 (jì), to remember, sounds the same and seems logical.
- Using 穿 (chuān) for "wear a poppy" → for badges, flowers and accessories use 戴 (dài): 戴罂粟花 (dài yīng sù huā).
Mini dialogue
- A你胸前戴的是什么花？Nǐ xiōng qián dài de shì shén me huā?What's that flower you're wearing?
- B是罂粟花。今天是国殇纪念日，纪念在战争中牺牲的人。Shì yīng sù huā. Jīn tiān shì guó shāng jì niàn rì, jì niàn zài zhàn zhēng zhōng xī shēng de rén.It's a poppy. Today's Remembrance Day, when we remember those who died in war.
- A为什么是十一月十一号？Wèi shén me shì shí yī yuè shí yī hào?Why 11 November?
- B因为一九一八年的这一天，一战停战了。上午十一点大家会默哀两分钟。Yīn wèi yī jiǔ yī bā nián de zhè yī tiān, yī zhàn tíng zhàn le. Shàng wǔ shí yī diǎn dà jiā huì mò āi liǎng fēn zhōng.Because the First World War armistice came on that day in 1918. At 11 a.m. everyone observes two minutes' silence.
Example sentences
- 十一月十一号是国殇纪念日。11 November is Remembrance Day.
- 很多人胸前戴着罂粟花。Lots of people are wearing a poppy.
- 我们一起默哀两分钟。Let's observe two minutes' silence together.
- 我们纪念在战争中牺牲的人。We remember those who died in war.
- 一九一八年十一月十一号停战了。The armistice came on 11 November 1918.
- 我曾祖父参加过一战。My great-grandfather fought in the First World War.
- 二战结束已经八十多年了。It's been over eighty years since the Second World War ended.
- 那么多年轻的士兵再也没回来。So many young soldiers never came home.
- 他们为国家牺牲了。They gave their lives for their country.
- 老兵们今天都戴着勋章。The veterans are all wearing their medals today.
- 镇上的纪念碑前放满了花圈。The war memorial in town is covered in wreaths.
- 他代表学校献了一个花圈。He laid a wreath on behalf of the school.
- 士兵们向国旗敬礼。The soldiers saluted the flag.
- 希望世界永远和平。I hope the world stays at peace for ever.
- 他们的牺牲，我们永志不忘。We will never forget their sacrifice.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Remembrance Day speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Remembrance Day to prepare your own answers to.