Core Vocabulary on Customs and Festivals

1.传统节日 chuán tǒng jié rì traditional festival

2.鞭炮 biān pào firecrackers

3.灯笼 dēng long lantern

4.春节 chūn jié Spring Festival

5.中秋节 zhōng qiū jié Mid-Autumn Festival
6.端午节 duān wǔ jié Dragon Boat Festival

7.龙舟赛 lóng zhōu sài dragon boat race

8.粽子 zòng zi rice dumplings
9.饺子 jiǎo zi dumplings

10. 舞狮 wǔ shī lion dance (also verb)

11. 舞龙 wǔ lóng dragon dance (also verb)

12. 唱歌 chàng gē to sing
13. 跳舞 tiào wǔ to dance

14. 聊天 liáo tiān to chat

15. 幸福 xìng fú adj. happy ( general feeling )

16. 开心 kāi xīn adj. happy ( more specific feeling, can be used interchangeably with 高兴
and 快乐)

17. 高兴 gāo xìng adj. happy ( more specific feeling, can be used interchangeably with 开
心 and 快乐)

18. 快乐 kuài lè adj. happy ( more specific feeling, can be used interchangeably with 高兴
and 开心)

19. 庆祝 qìng zhù to celebrate

20. 表演 biǎo yǎn to perform
21. 组织 zǔ zhī to organise, also n. organisation
22. 决定 jué dìng to decide, also n. decision
23. 结束 jié shù to finish

24. 想 xiǎng to think, to miss

25. 复活节 fù huó jié Easter
26. 圣诞节 shèng dàn jié Christmas
27. 虽然 suī rán connective word; although
28. 都 dōu adv. all; This character has two sounds, the other sound is dū, 首都
shǒu dū means capital city. Please note that 首都 will also be dictated on
Tuesday.
29. 才 cái adv. only
30. 但是 dàn shì connective word; but, however
31. 还 hái adv. still; This character also has two sounds, the other is huán, which is a verb.

For example, 还钱 huán qián，pay back money (please note that 还钱 will also
be dictated next Tuesday)

32. 当地 dāng dì local (can be used as noun and adj)