Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival (春节), is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. Understanding the language used during this celebration will help you explore its deep cultural roots and take part in its vibrant traditions. This essential Chinese New Year vocabulary guide includes 240 carefully selected terms covering everything from customs and folk symbols to greetings and foods, offering a rich, structured word set for learners and cultural enthusiasts alike.

I. Chinese Vocabulary for Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year)
II. Chinese Vocabulary: The Kitchen God and New Year Legends
III. Popular Chinese New Year Greetings and Wishes
IV. Sample Paragraph in Chinese about Chinese New Year
V. Conclusion

240 Chinese New Year Vocabulary Words: Greetings, Food, Traditions

I. Chinese Vocabulary for Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year)

1. General Chinese New Year vocabulary

To begin understanding the Chinese New Year word list, you must know the foundational words related to the lunar calendar and seasonal cycles. These words help provide context for the festival's timing and spiritual alignment.

No.	Chinese New Year vocabulary	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	春节	chūnjié	Lunar New Year
2	大年	dànián	Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán)
3	过年	guònián	Celebrate the Lunar New Year
4	拜年	bàinián	New Year’s greetings
5	年货	niánhuò	New Year goods
6	春联	chūnlián	Spring couplets
7	元宵节	yuánxiāo jié	Lantern Festival
8	张灯结彩	zhāngdēng jiécǎi	Hang lanterns and decorations
9	植树节	zhíshù jié	Arbor Day
10	端午节	duānwǔ jié	Dragon Boat Festival
11	中秋节	zhōngqiū jié	Mid-Autumn Festival
12	重阳节	chóngyáng jié	Double Ninth Festival
13	清明节	qīngmíng jié	Qingming Festival
14	踏青	tàqīng	Spring outing
15	扫墓	sǎomù	Tomb sweeping
16	新年礼物	xīnnián lǐwù	New Year’s gifts
17	初一	chūyī	The first day of Lunar New Year
18	节日	jiérì	Holiday / Festival
19	团圆节	tuányuán jié	Family Reunion Festival
20	年画	niánhuà	New Year paintings
21	买年货	mǎinián huò	Buy New Year goods
22	农历	nónglì	Lunar calendar
23	正月	zhèngyuè	The first month of the Lunar calendar
24	除夕	chúxī	New Year's Eve
25	破土动工	pòtǔ dònggōng	First footing
26	红包	hóngbāo	Red envelope
27	舞狮	wǔshī	Lion dance
28	舞龙	Wǔlóng	Dragon dance
29	去晦气	qùhuì qì	Drive away bad luck
30	祭祖宗	jìzǔ zōng	Ancestor worship
31	扫房	sǎofáng	House cleaning
32	大扫除	dàsǎo chú	General cleaning
33	金桔	jīnjú	Kumquat tree
34	红枣	hóng zǎo	Red dates
35	踏春	tā chūn	Spring outing
36	压岁钱	yāsuì qián	New Year's money
37	守岁	shǒusuì	Stay up for New Year's Eve
38	祭灶节	jì zào jié	Kitchen God Festival
39	红对联	hóng duìlián	Red couplets
40	腊梅	làméi	Wintersweet flower
41	报春花	bàochūn huā	Spring flowers
42	花炮	huāpào	Firecrackers
43	烟花	yānhuā	Fireworks
44	肥肉	féi ròu	Fatty meat
45	爆竹	bào zhú	Firecrackers
46	放花	fàng huā	Set off fireworks
47	旗竿	qígān	Flagpole
48	花灯	huādēng	Lantern
49	敬酒	jìngjiǔ	Toast
50	灯笼	dēnglóng	Lantern
51	五果盘	wǔguǒ pán	Five-fruit tray
52	鞭炮	biānpào	Firecrackers
53	高升	gāoshēng	Sky-high fireworks
54	磕头	kētóu	Kowtow
55	团圆	tuányuán	Family reunion
56	祭祖	jìzǔ	Ancestor worship
57	祖宗牌位	zǔzōng páiwèi	Ancestral tablet
58	供桌	gòngzhuō	Offering table
59	春节联欢	chūnjié liánhuān	New Year’s Gala
60	恭贺新禧	gōnghè xīnxǐ	Happy New Year
61	四季节日	sìjì jiérì	Four-season festivals
62	元宵	yuánxiāo	Lantern Festival
63	灯会	dēnghuì	Lantern display
64	踩高跷	cǎi gāoqiào	Stilt walking
65	赶庙会	gǎnmiàohuì	Go to the temple fair
66	忌辰	jìchén	Memorial day
67	祭品	jìpǐn	Offerings
68	祭祀	jìsì	Sacrifice
69	祭文	jìwén	Eulogy
70	国定假日	guódìng jiàrì	National holiday
71	喜庆日	xǐqìng rì	Festive day
72	例假	lìjià	Regular leave
73	宗教节日	zōngjiào jiérì	Religious festival
74	半日休假	bànrì xiūjià	Half-day leave
75	公共假日	gōnggòng jiàrì	Public holiday
76	寿辰	shòuchén	Birthday celebration
77	拜寿	bàishòu	Celebrate birthday
78	祝寿	zhùshòu	Wish a long life
79	寿面	shòumiàn	Longevity noodles
80	寿礼	shòulǐ	Birthday gift
81	寿星	shòuxing	Longevity star
82	寿桃	shòutáo	Longevity peach
83	寿幛	shòuzhàng	Longevity banner
84	开幕式	kāimùshì	Opening ceremony
85	剪彩	jiǎncǎi	Ribbon cutting
86	剪彩用彩带	jiǎncǎi yòng cǎidài	Ribbon cutting with colored ribbons
87	落成典礼	luòchéng diǎnlǐ	Inauguration ceremony
88	奠基礼	diànjī lǐ	Groundbreaking ceremony
89	升旗典礼	shēngqí diǎnlǐ	Flag raising ceremony
90	降旗典礼	jiàngqí diǎnlǐ	Flag lowering ceremony
91	向国旗致敬	xiàng guóqí zhìjìng	Salute the flag
92	闭幕式	bìmù shì	Closing ceremony
93	欢迎辞	huānyíng cí	Welcome speech
94	开幕辞	kāimù cí	Opening speech
95	闭幕辞	bìmù cí	Closing speech
96	司仪	sīyí	Master of ceremonies
97	主持	zhǔchí	Host
98	领兵员	lǐng bīngyuán	Greeter
99	宾客	bīnkè	Guest
100	贵宾	guìbīn	VIP guest
101	嘉宾	jiābīn	Honored guest
102	上宾	shàngbīn	Top guest
103	国宾	guóbīn	State guest
104	国宴	guóyàn	State banquet
105	欢迎宴会	huānyíng yànhuì	Welcome banquet
106	饯行宴会	jiànxíng yànhuì	Farewell banquet
107	呜礼炮	wū lǐpào	Firing celebratory fireworks
108	检阅台	jiǎnyuè tái	Review stand
109	红地毯	hóng dìtǎn	Red carpet
110	奠基	diànjī	Lay the foundation
111	奠基石	diànjīshí	Foundation stone
112	节日游行	jiérì yóuxíng	Festival parade
113	彩车	cǎichē	Flower car
114	彩球	cǎiqiú	Colorful balls
115	彩旗	cǎiqí	Colorful flags
116	彩带	cǎidài	Colorful ribbons
117	恭喜发财	gōngxǐ fācái	Wishing you wealth and prosperity
118	新年横幅	xīnnián héngfú	New Year banner

These terms frame the thematic and spiritual seasonality embedded in Chinese culture, marking more than just the end of a calendar year—it's the renewal of life.

2. Customs and Traditions

One of the most fascinating aspects of Chinese New Year is the web of traditions passed down over thousands of years. The practices in this section are crucial to cultural fluency and ritual competence.

New Year Customs and Traditions in Chinese

No.	Chinese New Year Vocabulary	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	习俗	xísú	Customs / Traditions
2	对联 / 春联	duìlián / chūnlián	Spring Couplets (New Year scrolls)
3	剪纸	jiǎnzhǐ	Paper Cutting
4	年画	niánhuà	New Year Poster / Festival Painting
5	买年货	mǎi niánhuò	Shopping for New Year Goods (Holiday shopping)
6	破土动工	pòtǔ dòng gōng	First Visitor of the Year / Opening the Year with Luck (literally: breaking ground)
7	去晦气	qù huì qì	Driving Away Bad Luck
8	大扫除	dà sǎo chú	Thorough Cleaning (Pre-holiday deep clean)
9	踏春	tā chūn	Spring Outing / Going on a New Year Excursion

3. Cultural Symbols and Folk Elements

Symbols carry the weight of meaning in Chinese tradition. Mastery of these lunar new year words leads to a better understanding of visual, verbal, and symbolic celebrations.

Important terms under this category include:

No.	Chinese New Year vocabulary	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	泥人	nírén	Clay Figurine (Human-shaped clay sculpture)
2	皮影戏	píyǐngxì	Shadow Puppetry (Shadow play)
3	木偶戏	mù’ǒuxì	Puppet Show
4	刺绣	cìxiù	Embroidery
5	剪纸	jiǎnzhǐ	Paper Cutting
6	中国结	zhōngguójié	Chinese Knot (Symbolic handwoven knot)
7	吹糖人	chuī táng rén	Sugar Figurine Blowing (Traditional candy art)
8	舞龙	wǔ lóng	Dragon Dance
9	舞狮	wǔ shī	Lion Dance
10	秧歌	yānggē	Yangge Dance (A folk dance form popular in Northern China)
11	灯笼	dēnglóng	Lantern

4. Festival Activities and Entertainment

Modern and traditional events mix perfectly during the Lunar New Year period. One key feature is the Spring Festival Gala, one of the most watched broadcasting events in the world.

No.	Chinese New Year vocabulary	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	打麻将	dǎ májiàng	Playing Mahjong
2	庙会	miàohuì	Temple Fair
3	春节联欢晚会	chūnjié liánhuān wǎnhuì	Chinese New Year Gala (Spring Festival Evening Show)
4	灯会	dēnghuì	Lantern Festival / Lantern Show
5	送贺卡	sòng hèkǎ	Giving Greeting Cards
6	理发	lǐ fā	Getting a Haircut
7	放烟花	fàng yānhuā	Setting Off Fireworks
8	放鞭炮	fàng biānpào	Setting Off Firecrackers
9	耍龙灯	shuǎ lóngdēng	Playing with Dragon Lanterns
10	赛龙舟	sài lóngzhōu	Dragon Boat Racing

5. Traditional Foods

Food vocabulary is essential for fully appreciating the festive table. Each dish is not only delicious but deeply symbolic.

No.	Chinese New Year vocabulary	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	饺子	jiǎozi	Dumplings
2	年糕	niángāo	Glutinous Rice Cake (New Year cake)
3	春卷	chūnjuǎn	Spring Rolls
4	鱼	yú	Fish (symbol of surplus)
5	长寿面	chángshòu miàn	Longevity Noodles
6	发糕	fāgāo	Steamed Prosperity Cake (Fortune cake)
7	汤圆	tāngyuán	Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls (symbol of reunion)
8	火锅	huǒguō	Hot Pot
9	绿豆糕	lǜ dòu gāo	Mung Bean Cake
10	腊肉	làròu	Preserved/Cured Meat
11	红烧肉	hóngshāo ròu	Braised Pork Belly
12	烧鸡	shāojī	Roast Chicken
13	烧鸭	shāo yā	Roast Duck
14	糖藕	táng'ǒu	Sugar Lotus Root (sweet dish)
15	八宝饭	bābǎofàn	Eight-Treasure Rice
16	莲藕汤	liánǒu tāng	Lotus Root Soup
17	元宵	yuánxiāo	Lantern Festival Glutinous Rice Balls
18	菜团子	cài tuánzi	Vegetable Sticky Rice Dumpling
19	芋头糕	yùtóu gāo	Taro Cake
20	铁蛋	tiě dàn	Iron Eggs (Taiwanese delicacy)
21	酥饼	sūbǐng	Chinese Flaky Pastry
22	藕夹	ǒujiā	Lotus Root Sandwich with Pork Filling
23	糖果盒	tángguǒ hé	Candy Box (tray of togetherness)
24	花生糖	huāshēng táng	Peanut Brittle
25	蜜枣	mìzǎo	Candied Jujubes (symbol of sweet life and fertility)

When learning lunar new year vocabulary, understanding food is non-negotiable. These dishes represent prosperity, cohesion, and wishes for the upcoming year.

6. Deities, Mythical Figures, and Symbolism

Mythology ties rituals to storytelling, especially figures like the Kitchen God or the fearsome Nian Beast.

Chinese New Year Vocabulary about Deities, Mythical Figures, and Symbolism

No.	Chinese New Year vocabulary	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	灶君	Zào Jūn	Kitchen God
2	财神	Cáishén	God of Wealth
3	年兽	Nián Shòu	Nian Beast (mythical monster)
4	门神	Ménshén	Door Gods (protective deities at doorways)
5	福	Fú	Fortune / Blessing character
6	财神到	Cáishén dào	Arrival of the God of Wealth
7	龙	Lóng	Dragon (symbol of power and good luck)
8	兔子	Tùzi	Rabbit (Zodiac animal, symbol of peace and longevity)
9	红色	Hóngsè	The Color Red (symbolizes luck and protection)
10	倒福	Dào Fú	"Upside-down Fu" (symbolizes luck arriving)

This Chinese New Year vocabulary reflects themes of spiritual balance, ancestral respect, and control of fortune.

7. Additional Chinese New Year Vocabulary

This section includes verbs, adjectives, and idioms frequently encountered throughout Chinese New Year communication. These words carry festive spirit and poetic meanings.

No.	Chinese New Year vocabulary	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	敬酒	jìngjiǔ	Toasting with Alcohol (a gesture of respect)
2	微信红包	wēixìn hóngbāo	WeChat Red Packet (digital red envelope)
3	支付宝红包	zhīfùbǎo hóngbāo	Alipay Red Packet (digital red envelope)
4	祭财神	jì Cáishén	Worshiping the God of Wealth
5	辞旧岁	cí jiù suì	Bidding Farewell to the Old Year
6	扫尘	sǎo chén	Sweeping the Dust (symbolic cleansing for the new year)
7	贴倒福	tiē dào fú	Posting an Upside-Down Fu (福) for "Good Luck Arrives"
8	禁忌	jìnjì	Taboos (things one must not do during the New Year)
9	烧香	shāoxiāng	Burning Incense (for praying or honoring deities/ancestors)
10	生肖 / 属相	shēngxiào / shǔxiàng	Chinese Zodiac Animal
11	十二生肖 + 年	shí’èr shēngxiào + nián	Twelve Zodiac Signs + Year (e.g., Year of the Dragon)
12	本命年	běnmìngnián	One’s Zodiac Year (birth-sign year, believed to bring challenges)
13	春运	chūnyùn	Spring Festival Travel Rush (massive people movement before New Year)

II. Chinese Vocabulary: The Kitchen God and New Year Legends

The Kitchen God, known as Zào Jūn (灶君), is sent to Heaven before New Year’s Eve to report on the family's behavior. Offerings like sweets (to 'sweeten his words') are an essential ritual.

No.	Chinese New Year vocabulary	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	灶君节 / 灶王节	zàojūn jié / zàowáng jié	Kitchen God Festival
2	灶君	zàojūn	Kitchen God
3	灶神	zàoshén	Stove Deity
4	灶王	zàowáng	Stove King (another name for Kitchen God)
5	烧香 / 上香	shāoxiāng / shàngxiāng	Burning Incense / Offering Incense
6	放生	fàngshēng	Animal Release (merit-making ritual)
7	拜谒	bàiyè	Formal Visit or Worship (e.g. to spirits)
8	烧纸钱	shāo zhǐqián	Burning Joss Paper (Paper Money Offerings)
9	保佑	bǎoyòu	To Bless / Protect Spiritually
10	供奉	gòngfèng	To Make Offerings / Worship
11	恳求	kěnqiú	To Plead or Pray Earnestly
12	农历十二月二十三日	nónglì shí’èr yuè èrshísān rì	Lunar Dec. 23 – Date of Kitchen God Festival
13	送 (灶君)	sòng (zàojūn)	To Send Off (the Kitchen God)
14	上天	shàngtiān	Ascend to Heaven
15	玉皇大帝	Yùhuáng Dàdì	The Jade Emperor
16	男曹星	nán cáo xīng	Southern Office Star (celestial functionary)
17	北斗星	Běidǒuxīng	Northern Dipper Star (symbolic star system)
18	鲤鱼	lǐyú	Carp (used as the Kitchen God's “vehicle”)
19	拜谒	bàiyè	To Pay Respects (worship visit)
20	拜见	bàijiàn	To Bow / Pay Formal Respects

These expressions come from folk traditions and are linked to moral accountability and divine protection during the New Year.

III. Popular Chinese New Year Greetings and Wishes

Besides Chinese New Year vocabulary , learning how to greet others properly during Chinese New Year is a must. These phrases promote harmony and express goodwill. They’re used on red envelopes, message banners, and social calls.

No.	Chinese Sentence	Pinyin	Meaning (English)
1	一团和气	yī tuán héqì	May there be harmony in the whole family.
2	祝你学习进步	zhù nǐ xuéxí jìnbù	Wishing you progress in your studies.
3	万寿无疆	wàn shòu wú jiāng	May you live a long and boundless life.
4	年年吉祥	niánnián jíxiáng	Wishing you good fortune year after year.
5	祝你年年有余	zhù nǐ niánnián yǒuyú	May you have abundance every year.
6	祝你早生贵子	zhù nǐ zǎo shēng guìzǐ	May you soon give birth to a noble child.
7	祝你身壮力健，意兴隆	zhù nǐ shēn zhuàng lì jiàn, yì xīng lóng	Wishing you health and thriving business.
8	祝您对孩子们满意	zhù nín duì háizimen mǎnyì	May you be proud and joyful about your children.
9	一元复始	yīyuán fùshǐ	The start of a new beginning / new cycle.
10	祝你好运	zhù nǐ hǎo yùn	Wishing you good luck.
11	祝你健康	zhù nǐ jiànkāng	Wishing you good health.
12	合家平安	héjiā píng'ān	Peace for the whole family.
13	新的一年到了！祝大家新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意！	Xīn de yī nián dàole! Zhù dàjiā xīnnián kuàilè, shēntǐ jiànkāng, wànshì rúyì!	The new year has arrived! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!
14	开心每一秒，快乐每一天，幸福每一年，健康到永远！新年快乐！	Kāixīn měi yī miǎo, kuàilè měi yītiān, xìngfú měi yī nián, jiànkāng dào yǒngyuǎn! Xīnnián kuàilè!	Be happy every second, joyful every day, fulfilled every year, and healthy forever! Happy New Year!
15	新的一年，新的心愿，新的希望，新的生活。祝您新年好！	Xīn de yī nián, xīn de xīnyuàn, xīn de xīwàng, xīn de shēnghuó. Zhù nín xīnnián hǎo!	A new year brings new wishes, new hope, and new beginnings. Wishing you a wonderful new year!
16	祝愿你天天开心，时时快乐，分分精彩，秒秒幸福。	zhùyuàn nǐ tiāntiān kāixīn, shíshí kuàilè, fēnfēn jīngcǎi, miǎomiǎo xìngfú	Wish you happiness every day, joy every hour, brilliance every minute, and bliss every second.

In formal settings, greetings are often poetic and include classical expressions of longevity, happiness, and family harmony.

IV. Sample Paragraph in Chinese about Chinese New Year

Below is a short descriptive note to help you consolidate the Chinese New Year vocabulary into a storytelling context:

Chinese Version: 春节是中国最重要的传统节日，也被称为农历新年。在这个节日里，人们辞旧迎新，家家户户都充满了喜庆和祥和的氛围。春节前，人们会彻底打扫房屋，张贴春联和窗花，挂上红灯笼，寓意驱邪迎福。商店和街道装饰得红红火火，为新年增添热闹气氛。

年三十晚上，家人们团聚在一起共享年夜饭。年夜饭非常丰盛，常见的菜肴有饺子、年糕、鱼、烧鸡等，象征着团圆、富足和年年有余。饭后，全家人会一起观看春节联欢晚会，守岁迎接新年的到来。

到了正月初一，人们穿上新衣服，走亲访友，互相拜年。孩子们最期待的是收到红包，里面包含着长辈的压岁钱，寓意平安吉祥。一些人还会去寺庙祈福，祈求新年风调雨顺、阖家幸福。

春节期间，全国各地还会举行各种传统民俗活动，如舞狮、舞龙、放烟花、庙会、秧歌表演等。整个社会洋溢着节日的喜悦，处处都能感受到浓厚的年味儿。

Pinyin: Chūnjié shì Zhōngguó zuì zhòngyào de chuántǒng jiérì, yě bèi chēng wèi nónglì xīnnián. Zài zhège jiérì lǐ, rénmen cí jiù yíng xīn, jiājiā hùhù dōu chōngmǎn le xǐqìng hé xiánghé de qìfēn. Chūnjié qián, rénmen huì chèdǐ dǎsǎo fángwū, zhāngtiē chūnlián hé chuānghuā, guà shàng hóng dēnglóng, yùyì qūxié yíng fú. Shāngdiàn hé jiēdào zhuāngshì de hónghóng huǒhuǒ, wèi xīnnián zēngtiān rènào qìfēn.

Nián sānshí wǎnshàng, jiārénmen tuánjù zài yìqǐ gòngxiǎng nián yèfàn. Nián yèfàn fēicháng fēngshèng, chángjiàn de càiyáo yǒu jiǎozi, niángāo, yú, shāojī děng, xiàngzhēng zhe tuányuán, fùzú hé niánnián yǒuyú. Fàn hòu, quánjiā rén huì yìqǐ guānkàn chūnjié liánhuān wǎnhuì, shǒusuì yíngjiē xīnnián de dàolái.

Dàole zhēngyuè chū yī, rénmen chuān shàng xīn yīfú, zǒu qīn fǎng yǒu, hùxiāng bàinián. Háizimen zuì qīdài de shì shōu hóngbāo, lǐmiàn bāohán zhe zhǎngbèi de yāsuìqián, yùyì píng’ān jíxiáng. Yìxiē rén hái huì qù sìmiào qífú, qǐqiú xīnnián fēngtiáo yǔshùn, héjiā xìngfú.

Chūnjié qíjiān, quánguó gèdì hái huì jǔxíng gèzhǒng chuántǒng mínzú huódòng, rú wǔshī, wǔlóng, fàng yānhuā, miàohuì, yānggē biǎoyǎn děng. Zhěnggè shèhuì yángyì zhe jiérì de xǐyuè, chùchù dōu néng gǎnshòu dào nónghòu de niánwèi’ér.

English Translation: The Spring Festival is the most important traditional holiday in China. Also known as the Lunar New Year, it is a time for bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. Every household is filled with a joyful and peaceful atmosphere. Before the New Year, people thoroughly clean their homes and decorate with red couplets, paper cuttings, and lanterns, symbolizing luck and the driving away of evil spirits. The streets and shops glow with festive spirit.

On New Year's Eve, families gather for a lavish reunion dinner. Typical dishes include dumplings, glutinous rice cakes, fish, and roast chicken—each symbolizing prosperity, reunion, or abundance in the coming year. After dinner, families usually watch the Spring Festival Gala and stay up late to welcome the new year.

On the first day of the lunar year, people dress in new clothes and visit relatives and friends to exchange greetings and blessings. Children look forward to receiving red envelopes with lucky money from elders, symbolizing peace and good fortune. Many people also go to temples to pray for a smooth year and family well-being.

During the Spring Festival, various cultural events are held throughout China, including lion and dragon dances, fireworks, temple fairs, and folk dance performances. The whole society is immersed in celebration, and the festive atmosphere can be felt everywhere.

V. Conclusion

By mastering this structured guide of Chinese New Year vocabulary, you’ll not only gain language skills but also engage more deeply with Chinese culture. Remember to keep practicing, recognize the meaning behind each custom, and participate in the traditions with sincerity.

Let this be your foundation—a trusted and comprehensive Chinese New Year word list to guide you through every celebration.

240 Essential Chinese New Year Vocabulary for Celebrations and Traditions