Integrated Chinese Vol 4 Lesson 11 (China's holidays)

节日

festival, holiday (jiérì) (N.)

舅舅

uncle (mother's brother) (jiùjiu) (N.)

舅妈

aunt (mother's brother's wife) (jiùmā) (N.)

小区

residential development, residential complex (xiǎoqū) (N.)

环境

environment; surroundings (huánjìng) (N.)

除夕

Chinese New Year's Eve (chúxī) (N.)

年夜饭

Chinese New Year's Eve dinner (niányèfàn) (N.)

墙

wall (qiáng) (N.)

贴

to paste, to glue (tiē) (V.)

福

blessing, good fortune (fú) (N.)

倒

to turn upside down, to go backwards (dào) (V.)

奇怪

strange; weird (qíguài) (Adj.)

意思

meaning (yìsi) (N.)

以

with (yǐ) (Prep.)

代

to replace, to substitute (dài) (V.)

酒

alcohol, liquor (jiǔ) (N.)

举

to lift, to raise (jǔ) (V.)

顺利

smooth, successful, without a hitch (shùnlì) (Adj.)

进步

to make progress; progressive (jìnbù) (V./Adj.)

干杯

to drink a toast (lit. to dry the cup) (gānbēi) (VO)

成功

to succeed; successful (chénggōng) (V./Adj.)

晚会

evening gathering, soiree (wǎnhuì) (N.)

剩(下)

to leave a surplus, to be left (over) (shèng(xià)) (V(C))

浪费

to waste, to squander; wasteful (làngfèi) (V./Adj.)

余

surplus; to have a surplus (yú) (N./V.)

传统

tradition; traditional (chuántǒng) (N./Adj.)

农历

traditional Chinese lunar calendar (lit. agricultural calendar) (nónglì) (N.)

初

first, early part of (chū)

粽子

sticky-rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves (zòngzi) (N.)

月饼

moon cake (yuèbǐng) (N.)

团圆

to reunite (as a family) (tuányuán) (V.)

正月

first month of the lunar year (zhēngyuè) (N.)

元宵

night of the fifteenth of the first lunar month, sweet dumplings made of sticky-rice flour (yuánxiāo) (N.)

嘛

(particle used to emphasize the obvious) (ma) (P.)

计时

to count time (jì shí) (VO)

拜年

to wish somebody a happy Chinese New Year, to pay a Chinese New Year call (bài nián) (VO)

恭喜

to congratulate (gōngxǐ) (V.)

发财

to get rich, to make a fortune (fā cái) (VO)

红包

red envelope containing gift money (hóngbāo) (N.)

热闹

lively, buzzing with excitement, bustling with activity (of a place or scene) (rènao) (Adj.)

鞭炮

firecrackers (biānpào) (N.)

春节

Spring Festival, Chinese New Year (Chūnjié) (PN)

端午节

Dragon Boat Festival (duānwǔjié) (PN)

中秋节

Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Festival (zhōngqiūjié) (PN)

感恩节

Thanksgiving (Gǎn'ēn jié) (PN)

元宵节

Lantern Festival (yuánxiāojié) (PN)

Adjective/verb + 着 + verb

Second verb phrase indicate the reason for the first action

The preposition 以

Originates from classical Chinese and has many meaning. Can sometimes be translated to "to use" or "with"

The particle 嘛

Often used in casual conversation to suggest that the reasoning behind a statement is obvious and requires no further elaboration.

The pattern (先) ... 再 ...

Can be translated to (First) ... then ..., 再 can link two clauses. Indicate that the first action is a desired condition for the second one, and should be paused until the first action has occurred.