Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese 中秋节
Zhōngqiūjié
Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese is 中秋节 (zhōng qiū jié).
Also searched for as: mid autumn festival in mandarin, mooncake festival, mooncake.
A festival for the full moon. 15 essential Mid-Autumn Festival words 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.
Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese is 中秋节 (zhōng qiū jié), held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the moon is full. Above all it's a time for 团圆 (tuán yuán), family reunion, so the vocabulary mixes food, family and legend: people eat 月饼 (yuè bǐng), mooncakes, go outside to 赏月 (shǎng yuè), admire the moon, and tell children about Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit. These words appear every autumn in greetings, adverts and conversation.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 中秋节 | Zhōng qiū jié | Mid-Autumn Festival |
| 月饼 | yuè bǐng | mooncake |
| 赏月 | shǎng yuè | to admire the moon |
| 满月 | mǎn yuè | full moon |
| 团圆 | tuán yuán | reunion |
| 嫦娥 | Cháng é | Chang'e (moon goddess) |
| 玉兔 | yù tù | Jade Rabbit |
| 传说 | chuán shuō | legend |
| 灯笼 | dēng lóng | lantern |
| 桂花 | guì huā | osmanthus |
| 八月十五 | bā yuè shí wǔ | 15th day of the 8th month |
| 农历 | nóng lì | lunar calendar |
| 思念 | sī niàn | to miss (someone far away) |
| 中秋快乐 | zhōng qiū kuài lè | Happy Mid-Autumn |
| 送月饼 | sòng yuè bǐng | to give mooncakes |
Usage tips
- Mooncakes usually come boxed, so you'll hear 一盒月饼 (yī hé yuè bǐng), a box of mooncakes; giving boxes to family, colleagues and clients is so normal that 送月饼 (sòng yuè bǐng) is a set phrase.
- To ask about fillings, say 什么馅儿的？ (shén me xiànr de?); classic answers are 莲蓉 (lián róng), lotus seed paste, 豆沙 (dòu shā), red bean paste, and 五仁 (wǔ rén), five kinds of nuts and seeds.
- 思念 (sī niàn) is literary and suits cards and poems; in everyday speech people say 想 (xiǎng) instead, as in 我想家了 (wǒ xiǎng jiā le), I'm homesick.
Common mistakes
- Calling Mid-Autumn the Lantern Festival in Chinese: in Singapore and Malaysia it's often called the Lantern or Mooncake Festival in English, but 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié), the Lantern Festival, is a different festival on the 15th of the 1st lunar month → always say 中秋节 (zhōng qiū jié).
- Saying 赏月 as shàng yuè, which sounds like "going up to the moon" → it's shǎng yuè, with a third tone on 赏.
Mini dialogue
- A中秋节你回家吗？Zhōng qiū jié nǐ huí jiā ma?Are you going home for Mid-Autumn?
- B回，一家人要团圆嘛。Huí, yī jiā rén yào tuán yuán ma.Yes, the whole family gets together.
- A你喜欢什么馅儿的月饼？Nǐ xǐ huan shén me xiànr de yuè bǐng?What filling do you like in your mooncakes?
- B我最喜欢莲蓉的。晚上我们还要一起赏月。Wǒ zuì xǐ huan lián róng de. Wǎn shang wǒ men hái yào yī qǐ shǎng yuè.Lotus seed paste is my favourite. In the evening we'll look at the moon together too.
- A真好！祝你中秋快乐！Zhēn hǎo! Zhù nǐ zhōng qiū kuài lè!Lovely! Happy Mid-Autumn!
Example sentences
- 中秋节是家人团圆的日子。Mid-Autumn is a day for family reunions.
- 你喜欢什么馅儿的月饼？What filling do you like in your mooncakes?
- 晚上一家人一起赏月。In the evening the family admires the moon together.
- 中秋的月亮是满月。The Mid-Autumn moon is a full moon.
- 中秋节要回家团圆。You go home for a family reunion at Mid-Autumn.
- 嫦娥住在月亮上。Chang'e lives on the moon.
- 月亮上有一只玉兔。There's a Jade Rabbit on the moon.
- 这是一个古老的传说。This is an ancient legend.
- 孩子们提着灯笼。The children are carrying lanterns.
- 中秋节的时候桂花开了。The osmanthus blooms at Mid-Autumn.
- 中秋节是农历八月十五。Mid-Autumn is on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
- 春节也是按农历算的。Spring Festival also follows the lunar calendar.
- 看到月亮就思念家乡。Seeing the moon makes me miss home.
- 祝你中秋快乐！Happy Mid-Autumn to you!
- 公司给员工送月饼。The company gives mooncakes to its staff.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Mid-Autumn Festival speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Mid-Autumn Festival to prepare your own answers to.