Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) in Chinese 冬至
dōng zhì
Winter Solstice in Chinese is 冬至 (dōng zhì).
Also searched for as: Dongzhi, Dongzhi Festival, shortest day, longest night, winter solstice festival.
The longest night, and a big bowl of dumplings. 15 words and phrases for Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) 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.
The Winter Solstice in Chinese is 冬至 (dōng zhì), one of the 24 solar terms and traditionally an important festival, as the saying 冬至大如年 (dōng zhì dà rú nián) suggests. What you eat depends on where you are: northerners 包饺子 (bāo jiǎo zi), southerners eat 汤圆 (tāng yuán), and in Singapore and Malaysia many families make tangyuan together too. Expect warming food and plenty of talk about the cold.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 冬至 | dōng zhì | Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) |
| 饺子 | jiǎo zi | dumplings |
| 包饺子 | bāo jiǎo zi | to make dumplings |
| 冻耳朵 | dòng ěr duo | to get frozen ears |
| 汤圆 | tāng yuán | tangyuan; sweet rice balls |
| 羊肉汤 | yáng ròu tāng | mutton soup |
| 数九 | shǔ jiǔ | counting the nine cold spells after the solstice |
| 三九天 | sān jiǔ tiān | the coldest days of winter |
| 节气 | jié qi | solar term |
| 白天最短 | bái tiān zuì duǎn | the day is shortest |
| 冬至大如年 | dōng zhì dà rú nián | the solstice is as big as New Year (saying) |
| 冬至快乐 | dōng zhì kuài lè | Happy Winter Solstice |
| 团圆饭 | tuán yuán fàn | family reunion dinner |
| 祭祖 | jì zǔ | to make offerings to one's ancestors |
| 进补 | jìn bǔ | to eat nourishing food (in winter) |
Usage tips
- 冬至 usually falls on 21 or 22 December and, as a solar term, doesn't move with the lunar calendar; Cantonese speakers have a matching saying, 冬大过年, "the solstice is bigger than New Year".
- 数九 (shǔ jiǔ) starts on the solstice: the cold season is counted in nine periods of nine days, and 三九天 (sān jiǔ tiān), the third nine, is said to be the coldest stretch.
- 进补 (jìn bǔ) reflects the traditional idea that winter is the time to build up the body with warming foods like 羊肉汤 (yáng ròu tāng); expect to hear 冬天要进补 from older relatives.
Common mistakes
- Reading 数九 as shù jiǔ → 数 is the verb "to count" here, so it's shǔ jiǔ, third tone.
- Translating "the shortest day" as 最短的一天 → Chinese talks about daylight, since every day has 24 hours: 白天最短 (bái tiān zuì duǎn).
Mini dialogue
- A今天冬至，晚上一起包饺子吧！Jīn tiān dōng zhì, wǎn shang yī qǐ bāo jiǎo zi ba!It's the Winter Solstice today. Let's make dumplings together tonight!
- B好啊。我们南方人冬至一般吃汤圆。Hǎo a. Wǒ men nán fāng rén dōng zhì yī bān chī tāng yuán.Sure. We southerners usually have tangyuan at the solstice.
- A在北方，老人说冬至不吃饺子会冻耳朵。Zài běi fāng, lǎo rén shuō dōng zhì bù chī jiǎo zi huì dòng ěr duo.Up north, old people say if you don't eat dumplings at the solstice your ears will freeze.
- B哈哈，那我两样都吃！Hā ha, nà wǒ liǎng yàng dōu chī!Ha, then I'll have both!
Example sentences
- 冬至到了，该吃饺子了。It's the Winter Solstice, time for dumplings.
- 北方人冬至一般吃饺子。Northerners usually eat dumplings at the solstice.
- 今晚全家一起包饺子。The whole family's making dumplings tonight.
- 老人说冬至不吃饺子会冻耳朵。Old people say if you skip dumplings at the solstice your ears will freeze.
- 很多南方人冬至吃汤圆。Lots of southerners eat tangyuan at the solstice.
- 冬至喝碗羊肉汤，特别暖和！A bowl of mutton soup at the solstice really warms you up!
- 从冬至这天开始数九。You start counting the nines from the day of the solstice.
- 三九天是一年里最冷的时候。The "third nine" is the coldest time of the year.
- 冬至是二十四节气之一。The Winter Solstice is one of the 24 solar terms.
- 冬至这天白天最短。The solstice is the shortest day of the year.
- 老人常说冬至大如年。Old people often say the solstice is as big as New Year.
- 冬至快乐，记得吃饺子哦！Happy Winter Solstice, don't forget your dumplings!
- 冬至晚上我们一起吃团圆饭。We have a family dinner together on solstice night.
- 有些地方冬至要祭祖。In some places people honour their ancestors at the solstice.
- 冬至前后很多人开始进补。Around the solstice lots of people start eating nourishing foods.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) to prepare your own answers to.