Park life: square dancing & tai chi in Chinese 广场舞和太极
guǎngchǎngwǔ hé Tàijí
Square dancing in Chinese is 广场舞 (guǎng chǎng wǔ).
Also searched for as: square dancing in Chinese, tai chi in Chinese, dancing aunties, morning exercise in China, Chinese park culture.
Where China's retirees dance, sing and stretch. 15 essential park life: square dancing & tai chi 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.
Walk into almost any Chinese park in the early morning or evening and you'll find 广场舞 (guǎng chǎng wǔ), square dancing, alongside people doing 太极拳 (tài jí quán), tai chi. It's one of the easiest places to practise your Chinese, because retirees are often happy to chat with a curious foreigner. Knowing how to address them politely, as 阿姨 (ā yí) or 大爷 (dà ye), is the key to joining in.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 广场舞 | guǎng chǎng wǔ | square dancing |
| 阿姨 | ā yí | auntie (polite way to address an older woman) |
| 大爷 | dà ye | grandpa (friendly way to address an older man) |
| 太极拳 | tài jí quán | tai chi |
| 打太极 | dǎ tài jí | to do tai chi |
| 晨练 | chén liàn | morning exercise |
| 锻炼身体 | duàn liàn shēn tǐ | to exercise; to keep fit |
| 遛鸟 | liù niǎo | to take one's caged birds for a walk |
| 下棋 | xià qí | to play chess |
| 象棋 | xiàng qí | Chinese chess |
| 踢毽子 | tī jiàn zi | to play shuttlecock (kicking game) |
| 抖空竹 | dǒu kōng zhú | to spin a diabolo (Chinese yo-yo) |
| 放风筝 | fàng fēng zheng | to fly a kite |
| 相亲角 | xiāng qīn jiǎo | matchmaking corner (in a park) |
| 音响 | yīn xiǎng | speaker; sound system |
Usage tips
- 大爷 (dà ye) is especially common in Beijing and the north; elsewhere 叔叔 (shū shu) for middle-aged men or 爷爷 (yé ye) for clearly older men can be a safer choice.
- 打太极 (dǎ tài jí) also has a figurative meaning, to dodge responsibility or give vague answers, as in 别跟我打太极 (bié gēn wǒ dǎ tài jí), 'stop beating about the bush'.
- Some big parks have a 相亲角 (xiāng qīn jiǎo), where parents display details of their unmarried children, such as age, job and education, hoping to find a match; it's fine to look, but be tactful about taking photos.
Common mistakes
- Saying 做太极 (zuò tài jí) or 玩太极: the verb is 打 (dǎ), so say 打太极拳 (dǎ tài jí quán).
- Calling an older woman 老太太 (lǎo tài tai) to her face can sound as if you're stressing her age; 阿姨 (ā yí) is the friendly default for women older than you.
- Saying 玩象棋 or 打象棋: board games are 'played down', so use 下棋 (xià qí), as in 下象棋 (xià xiàng qí).
Mini dialogue
- A阿姨，你们每天都在这儿跳广场舞吗？Ā yí, nǐ men měi tiān dōu zài zhèr tiào guǎng chǎng wǔ ma?Do you all do square dancing here every day, auntie?
- B对啊，晚上七点开始。你想一起跳吗？Duì a, wǎn shang qī diǎn kāi shǐ. Nǐ xiǎng yī qǐ tiào ma?Yes, from seven in the evening. Do you want to join in?
- A我不会跳，不过我想学打太极拳。Wǒ bù huì tiào, bù guò wǒ xiǎng xué dǎ tài jí quán.I can't dance, but I'd like to learn tai chi.
- B那你早上来，那边的大爷每天都在晨练。Nà nǐ zǎo shang lái, nà biān de dà ye měi tiān dōu zài chén liàn.Then come in the morning. The old men over there exercise every day.
- A太好了，谢谢阿姨！Tài hǎo le, xiè xie ā yí!Brilliant, thanks, auntie!
Example sentences
- 楼下的阿姨每天晚上跳广场舞。The aunties downstairs do square dancing every evening.
- 阿姨，我可以跟你们一起跳吗？Can I dance with you, auntie?
- 大爷，您身体真好！You're in great shape, grandpa!
- 爷爷每天早上打太极拳。Grandpa does tai chi every morning.
- 公园里有很多老人在打太极。There are lots of old people doing tai chi in the park.
- 他每天六点去公园晨练。He goes to the park to exercise at six every morning.
- 多锻炼身体，少生病。Exercise more and you'll get ill less.
- 那位大爷每天在公园遛鸟。That old man walks his birds in the park every day.
- 几个老人在树下下棋。A few old men are playing chess under the tree.
- 你会下象棋吗？Can you play Chinese chess?
- 小时候我经常踢毽子。I often played shuttlecock as a kid.
- 那位大爷抖空竹抖得真好。That old man is brilliant with the diabolo.
- 春天适合放风筝。Spring is good for flying kites.
- 父母在相亲角帮孩子找对象。Parents look for partners for their kids at the matchmaking corner.
- 广场舞的音响太吵了！The square-dancing speakers are so loud!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Park life: square dancing & tai chi speaking island has 8 everyday questions about park life: square dancing & tai chi to prepare your own answers to.