Valentine's Day & Qixi in Chinese 情人节和七夕
qíngrénjié hé qīxī
Valentine's Day / Qixi Festival in Chinese are 情人节 / 七夕节 (qíng rén jié / qī xī jié).
Also searched for as: valentine's day, chinese valentine's day, qixi festival.
Two days for love. 15 words and phrases for Valentine's Day & Qixi 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 speakers have two days for romance: 情人节 (qíng rén jié), Valentine's Day on 14 February, and 七夕 (qī xī), on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Qixi comes from the legend of 牛郎 (niú láng), the Cowherd, and 织女 (zhī nǚ), the Weaver Girl, separated by the Milky Way and allowed to meet once a year on a bridge of magpies. These words cover roses, candlelit dinners and how to 表白 (biǎo bái), confess your feelings.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 情人节 | qíng rén jié | Valentine's Day |
| 七夕 | qī xī | Qixi (Chinese Valentine's Day) |
| 牛郎 | niú láng | the Cowherd (Qixi legend) |
| 织女 | zhī nǚ | the Weaver Girl (Qixi legend) |
| 鹊桥 | què qiáo | the magpie bridge |
| 一年一次 | yī nián yī cì | once a year |
| 玫瑰 | méi guī | rose |
| 巧克力 | qiǎo kè lì | chocolate |
| 烛光晚餐 | zhú guāng wǎn cān | candlelit dinner |
| 表白 | biǎo bái | to confess your feelings |
| 浪漫 | làng màn | romantic |
| 约会 | yuē huì | date |
| 单身 | dān shēn | single |
| 五二零 | wǔ èr líng | 520 (sounds like "I love you") |
| 我爱你 | wǒ ài nǐ | I love you |
Usage tips
- Because it follows the lunar calendar, 七夕 moves each year and usually falls in August; the name literally means 'the evening of the seventh'.
- Numbers carry romantic meaning: 520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), so 20 May is another day for declarations online, and 1314 suggests 一生一世 (yī shēng yī shì), for a whole lifetime.
- Single roses are counted with 朵 (duǒ) and bouquets with 束 (shù), and 99 roses are popular because 九 (jiǔ), nine, sounds like 久 (jiǔ), long-lasting.
Common mistakes
- Saying 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) early or often as you might in English; many Chinese couples show affection through actions, and a first 表白 usually starts with 我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐ huan nǐ), I like you.
- Using 日期 (rì qī), a calendar date, for a romantic date; that is 约会 (yuē huì).
Mini dialogue
- A下周就是七夕了，你有什么打算？Xià zhōu jiù shì qī xī le, nǐ yǒu shén me dǎ suàn?Qixi's next week. Any plans?
- B我想约她吃烛光晚餐，然后向她表白。Wǒ xiǎng yuē tā chī zhú guāng wǎn cān, rán hòu xiàng tā biǎo bái.I want to ask her out for a candlelit dinner and then tell her how I feel.
- A好浪漫啊！要不要送玫瑰？Hǎo làng màn a! Yào bù yào sòng méi guī?How romantic! Are you going to give her roses?
- B当然，我准备了九十九朵。Dāng rán, wǒ zhǔn bèi le jiǔ shí jiǔ duǒ.Of course. I've got ninety-nine.
- A你打算直接说我爱你吗？Nǐ dǎ suàn zhí jiē shuō wǒ ài nǐ ma?Are you going to come straight out and say 'I love you'?
- B不敢，先说我喜欢你吧。Bù gǎn, xiān shuō wǒ xǐ huan nǐ ba.I wouldn't dare. I'll start with 'I like you'.
Example sentences
- 情人节你们去哪儿吃饭？Where are you going for dinner on Valentine's Day?
- 七夕是中国的情人节。Qixi is China's Valentine's Day.
- 牛郎和织女的故事很感人。The story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is moving.
- 织女是天上的仙女。The Weaver Girl was a fairy from heaven.
- 喜鹊为他们搭了一座鹊桥。The magpies built them a bridge.
- 他们一年只能见一次面。They can only meet once a year.
- 他送了她九十九朵玫瑰。He gave her ninety-nine roses.
- 情人节送巧克力。You give chocolate on Valentine's Day.
- 我们吃了一顿烛光晚餐。We had a candlelit dinner.
- 他在七夕向她表白了。He told her how he felt on Qixi.
- 这个礼物太浪漫了。This present is so romantic.
- 我们第一次约会是在情人节。Our first date was on Valentine's Day.
- 情人节单身也很好。Being single on Valentine's Day is fine too.
- 五月二十号在网上也是表白日。May 20th is also a day for saying "I love you" online.
- 中国人很少直接说"我爱你"。Chinese people rarely say "I love you" directly.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Valentine's Day & Qixi speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Valentine's Day & Qixi to prepare your own answers to.