Laba Festival in Chinese 腊八节
là bā jié
Laba Festival in Chinese is 腊八节 (là bā jié).
Also searched for as: Laba, Laba porridge, Laba Day, Laba congee, eighth day of the twelfth month.
A bowl of Laba porridge, and New Year is on its way. 15 words and phrases for Laba Festival 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 Laba Festival in Chinese is 腊八节 (là bā jié), held on the eighth day of 腊月 (là yuè), the twelfth lunar month. Its signature dish is 腊八粥 (là bā zhōu), a sweet porridge of mixed grains, beans, dried fruit and nuts, and in the north people also pickle 腊八蒜 (là bā suàn) in vinegar. For many families it's the unofficial start of the countdown to Chinese New Year.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 腊八节 | là bā jié | Laba Festival |
| 腊八粥 | là bā zhōu | Laba porridge |
| 熬粥 | áo zhōu | to slow-cook porridge |
| 腊月 | là yuè | the twelfth lunar month |
| 农历 | nóng lì | the lunar calendar |
| 腊八蒜 | là bā suàn | Laba garlic (pickled in vinegar) |
| 醋 | cù | vinegar |
| 红枣 | hóng zǎo | red dates; jujubes |
| 杂粮 | zá liáng | mixed grains |
| 莲子 | lián zǐ | lotus seeds |
| 寺庙 | sì miào | temple |
| 施粥 | shī zhōu | to give out porridge (to the public) |
| 过了腊八就是年 | guò le là bā jiù shì nián | after Laba, New Year is here (saying) |
| 年味 | nián wèi | festive New Year atmosphere |
| 办年货 | bàn nián huò | to do the New Year shopping |
Usage tips
- The saying 过了腊八就是年 (guò le là bā jiù shì nián) sums up the mood: after Laba people start to 办年货 (bàn nián huò), do their New Year shopping, and the 年味 (nián wèi) builds.
- For porridge, people often use 熬 (áo) rather than 煮 (zhǔ): 熬粥 (áo zhōu) suggests long, patient simmering over a low heat until it's thick and smooth.
- Many Buddhist temples give out free porridge on Laba, called 施粥 (shī zhōu), because Chinese Buddhist tradition holds that this is the day the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Common mistakes
- Writing 腊 as 蜡 → both are là, but 蜡 means wax, as in 蜡烛 (là zhú); the festival and the month use 腊.
- Assuming Laba is on 8 December → it's the 8th of the 12th lunar month, 农历十二月初八 (nóng lì shí èr yuè chū bā), which usually falls in January.
Mini dialogue
- A好香啊！你在做什么？Hǎo xiāng a! Nǐ zài zuò shén me?Smells great! What are you making?
- B明天是腊八，我在熬腊八粥。Míng tiān shì là bā, wǒ zài áo là bā zhōu.Tomorrow's Laba, so I'm cooking Laba porridge.
- A里面放了什么？Lǐ miàn fàng le shén me?What have you put in it?
- B杂粮、红枣、莲子，还有花生。Zá liáng, hóng zǎo, lián zǐ, hái yǒu huā shēng.Mixed grains, red dates, lotus seeds and peanuts.
- A过了腊八就是年，我们也该办年货了。Guò le là bā jiù shì nián, wǒ men yě gāi bàn nián huò le.After Laba comes New Year, so we should start our New Year shopping too.
Example sentences
- 腊八节是农历十二月初八。Laba falls on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month.
- 妈妈一早就熬好了腊八粥。Mum had the Laba porridge ready first thing.
- 熬粥要用小火。You cook porridge over a low heat.
- 进了腊月，年味就越来越浓了。Once the twelfth month arrives, New Year starts to feel close.
- 腊八节是按农历算的。Laba follows the lunar calendar.
- 腊八蒜泡好了是绿色的。Laba garlic turns green when it's ready.
- 腊八蒜要用米醋泡。You pickle Laba garlic in rice vinegar.
- 粥里放了红枣和桂圆。There are red dates and longans in the porridge.
- 腊八粥里有好多种杂粮。Laba porridge has lots of different grains in it.
- 我最喜欢粥里的莲子。The lotus seeds are my favourite bit of the porridge.
- 很多寺庙腊八节免费送粥。Lots of temples give out free porridge on Laba.
- 寺庙门口在施粥，排了好长的队。They're giving out porridge at the temple and the queue is huge.
- 老话说，过了腊八就是年。As the saying goes, after Laba comes New Year.
- 街上的年味越来越浓了。The streets are feeling more and more festive.
- 过了腊八，大家开始办年货。After Laba, everyone starts their New Year shopping.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Laba Festival speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Laba Festival to prepare your own answers to.