Bonfire Night & fireworks in Chinese 篝火之夜
gōuhuǒ zhī yè
Bonfire Night in Chinese is 篝火之夜 (gōu huǒ zhī yè).
Also searched for as: Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night, fireworks night, 5th November, fireworks.
Remember, remember the fifth of November. 15 words and phrases for Bonfire Night & fireworks 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.
Bonfire Night in Chinese is 篝火之夜 (gōu huǒ zhī yè), the British celebration on 5 November that marks the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, 火药阴谋 (huǒ yào yīn móu). It's a handy topic if you live in the UK or want to explain British traditions to Chinese friends, with words for 烟花 (yān huā), fireworks, 篝火 (gōu huǒ), bonfires, and the 假人 (jiǎ rén), the "guy" burned on top.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 篝火之夜 | gōu huǒ zhī yè | Bonfire Night |
| 火药阴谋 | huǒ yào yīn móu | the Gunpowder Plot |
| 篝火 | gōu huǒ | bonfire |
| 烟花 | yān huā | fireworks |
| 放烟花 | fàng yān huā | to let off fireworks |
| 烟花表演 | yān huā biǎo yǎn | fireworks display |
| 鞭炮 | biān pào | firecrackers |
| 仙女棒 | xiān nǚ bàng | sparkler |
| 冲天炮 | chōng tiān pào | rocket (firework) |
| 点火 | diǎn huǒ | to light (a fuse or fire) |
| 假人 | jiǎ rén | effigy; dummy (the "guy") |
| 烤棉花糖 | kǎo mián hua táng | to toast marshmallows |
| 热红酒 | rè hóng jiǔ | mulled wine |
| 安全距离 | ān quán jù lí | safe distance |
| 吓到 | xià dào | to frighten; to scare |
Usage tips
- 烟花 (yān huā) are fireworks that light up the sky, while 鞭炮 (biān pào) are the strings of loud firecrackers used at Chinese New Year; Chinese speakers keep the two clearly apart.
- 放 (fàng) is the verb for setting off anything explosive, as in 放烟花 (fàng yān huā) and 放鞭炮 (fàng biān pào), while 点火 (diǎn huǒ) is lighting the fuse.
- 篝火之夜 is a descriptive translation, so many Chinese speakers won't recognise it straight away; it helps to add 英国十一月五号的传统节日, or the other name, 盖伊·福克斯之夜 (gài yī fú kè sī zhī yè), Guy Fawkes Night.
Common mistakes
- Translating "let off fireworks" with 让 (ràng) → the verb is 放 (fàng): 放烟花 (fàng yān huā).
- Reading 篝 as gòu → it's first tone, gōu, as in 篝火 (gōu huǒ).
- Saying 狗被烟花害怕了 → 害怕 (hài pà) means "to be afraid" and can't go in a passive; say 烟花吓到了我家的狗, or 狗被吓到了 (gǒu bèi xià dào le).
Mini dialogue
- A今天是篝火之夜，晚上去公园看烟花表演吧！Jīn tiān shì gōu huǒ zhī yè, wǎn shang qù gōng yuán kàn yān huā biǎo yǎn ba!It's Bonfire Night. Let's go to the fireworks display in the park tonight!
- B好啊，几点开始？Hǎo a, jǐ diǎn kāi shǐ?Sure, what time does it start?
- A八点。那边还有一个大篝火，可以烤棉花糖。Bā diǎn. Nà biān hái yǒu yī gè dà gōu huǒ, kě yǐ kǎo mián hua táng.Eight. There's a big bonfire too, so we can toast marshmallows.
- B太好了！我再带点儿热红酒。Tài hǎo le! Wǒ zài dài diǎnr rè hóng jiǔ.Brilliant! I'll bring some mulled wine as well.
Example sentences
- 十一月五号是篝火之夜。5 November is Bonfire Night.
- 篝火之夜纪念的是火药阴谋的失败。Bonfire Night marks the failure of the Gunpowder Plot.
- 公园里点了一个大篝火。They lit a big bonfire in the park.
- 今年的烟花真漂亮！The fireworks are beautiful this year!
- 我们去河边放烟花吧！Let's go and set off fireworks by the river!
- 烟花表演八点开始。The fireworks display starts at 8.
- 鞭炮比烟花响多了。Firecrackers are much louder than fireworks.
- 小朋友手里拿着仙女棒。The kids are holding sparklers.
- 冲天炮一下子飞上了天。The rocket shot straight up into the sky.
- 点火的时候要小心。Be careful when you light it.
- 大家把假人放在篝火上烧。Everyone burns the guy on the bonfire.
- 我们在篝火边烤棉花糖。We toasted marshmallows by the bonfire.
- 冷天喝一杯热红酒真舒服。A mulled wine on a cold night is lovely.
- 放烟花要保持安全距离。Keep a safe distance when letting off fireworks.
- 烟花声吓到了我家的狗。The fireworks scared my dog.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Bonfire Night & fireworks speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Bonfire Night & fireworks to prepare your own answers to.