Chinese New Year customs & taboos in Chinese 过年禁忌

guònián jìnjì

Chinese New Year taboos in Chinese is 过年禁忌 (guò nián jìn jì).

Also searched for as: Chinese New Year superstitions, Lunar New Year dos and don'ts, Chinese New Year traditions, things not to do at Chinese New Year.

Don't sweep, don't swear, and wear something red. 15 words and phrases for Chinese New Year customs & taboos 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 New Year comes with a long list of 习俗 (xí sú), customs, and 禁忌 (jìn jì), taboos, many of them based on wordplay. You 大扫除 (dà sǎo chú) before the holiday but avoid 扫地 (sǎo dì) on the first day so you don't sweep your luck away, put up couplets, wear red and keep the conversation full of lucky phrases. Customs vary by region and family, but these words help you understand and join in.

Usage tips

• The upside-down 福 (fú) works through a pun: 倒 (dào), "upside down", sounds like 到 (dào), "to arrive", so 福倒了 becomes 福到了, "good fortune has arrived".
• If someone breaks a bowl or glass, say 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān) straight away: 碎 (suì), "broken", sounds like 岁 (suì), "year", turning an unlucky moment into a wish for peace year after year.
• Your 本命年 (běn mìng nián), the year of your own zodiac animal, comes round every 12 years and is traditionally thought to bring bad luck, so people wear red socks, underwear or a red string bracelet for protection.

Common mistakes

• Talking about death, illness or money troubles over New Year → these topics are 不吉利 (bù jí lì), so steer towards positive subjects and 吉利话 (jí lì huà).
• Giving a clock as a New Year present → 送钟 (sòng zhōng) sounds like 送终 (sòng zhōng), attending a relative's death, so give fruit, snacks or tea instead.
• Reading 正月 as zhèng yuè → for the first lunar month it's zhēng yuè, with 正 in the first tone.

Mini dialogue

1. A哎呀，我把碗打碎了！Āi ya, wǒ bǎ wǎn dǎ suì le!Oh no, I've broken a bowl!
2. B没事，快说"岁岁平安"！Méi shì, kuài shuō "suì suì píng ān"!Don't worry, quick, say "peace year after year"!
3. A岁岁平安！那我把地扫一下吧。Suì suì píng ān! Nà wǒ bǎ dì sǎo yī xià ba.Peace year after year! I'll sweep the floor, then.
4. B别扫！今天是初一，扫地会把财扫走。Bié sǎo! Jīn tiān shì chū yī, sǎo dì huì bǎ cái sǎo zǒu.Don't! It's the first day of New Year. You'll sweep your money away.

Example sentences

• 过年有很多禁忌。There are lots of taboos at New Year.
• 每个地方的过年习俗不一样。Every place has its own New Year customs.
• 过年前要大扫除。You give the house a big clean before New Year.
• 初一不能扫地，会把财扫走。Don't sweep on the first day, or you'll sweep your wealth away.
• 除夕上午我们贴春联。We put up the couplets on the morning of New Year's Eve.
• 福字倒贴，意思是"福到了"。Hanging "fu" upside down means "good fortune has arrived".
• 有的城市不让放鞭炮。Some cities don't allow firecrackers.
• 过年要多说吉利话。At New Year you should say lots of lucky things.
• 过年说"死"字不吉利。Saying the word "death" at New Year is unlucky.
• 碗打碎了，快说岁岁平安！The bowl's broken, quick, say "peace year after year"!
• 今年是我的本命年，我得穿红袜子。This is my zodiac year, so I have to wear red socks.
• 正月十五是元宵节。The 15th of the first month is the Lantern Festival.
• 老人说正月剪头发不好。Old people say it's bad luck to get a haircut in the first month.
• 很多地方初二回娘家。In many places, married women visit their parents on the second day.
• 过了破五，很多店就开门了。After the fifth day, lots of shops reopen.

Practise speaking

Ready to use these words? The Chinese New Year customs & taboos speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Chinese New Year customs & taboos to prepare your own answers to.

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