Greeting Season:

春节 The Spring Festival

农历 lunar calendar

正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar

除夕 New Year's Eve; eve of lunar New Year

初一 the beginning of New Year

元宵节 The Lantern Festival

Customs:

过年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival

对联 poetic couplet; two successive rhyming lines in poetry

春联 Spring Festival couplets

剪纸 paper-cuts

年画 New Year paintings

买年货 special purchases for the Spring Festival do Spring Festival shopping

敬酒 propose a toast

灯笼 lantern: a portable light

烟花 fireworks

爆竹 firecrackers (People scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.)

红包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming
year.)

舞狮 lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.)

舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests)

戏曲 traditional opera

杂耍 variety show; vaudeville

灯谜 riddles written on lanterns

灯会 exhibit of lanterns

守岁 staying-up

拜年 pay New Year's call; give New Year's greetings; New Year's visit

禁忌 taboo

去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune

祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one's ancestors

压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift
Culture Note: In the old days, New Year's money was given in the form of one hundred copper coins strung together on a red string and symbolized the hope that one would live to be a hundred years old. Today, money is placed inside red envelopes in denominations considered auspicious and given to represent luck and wealth

辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year

扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

Blessings:

金玉满堂 Treasures fill the home

生意兴隆 Business flourishes

岁岁平安 Peace all year round

恭喜发财 Wishing you prosperity

和气生财 Harmony brings wealth

心想事成 May all your wishes come true

吉祥如意 Everything goes well

国泰民安 The country flourishes and people live in peace

招财进宝 Money and treasures will be plentiful

一帆风顺 Wishing you every success

步步高升 Promoting to a higher position

出入平安 Safe trip wherever you go

祝你新的一年快乐幸福: Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year!

事业成功，家庭美满: Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family!

Food names:

年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake

团圆饭 family reunion dinner

年夜饭 the dinner on New Year's Eve

饺子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli

汤圆 Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or
spicy fillings

八宝饭 eight treasures rice pudding

糖果盘 candy tray:

什锦糖 assorted candies - sweet and fortune

蜜冬瓜 candied winter melon - growth and good health

西瓜子 red melon seed - joy, happiness, truth and sincerity

金桔 cumquat - prosperity

糖莲子 candied lotus seed - many descendents to come

糖藕 candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship

红枣 red dates - prosperity

花生糖 peanut candy - sweet

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees. 

The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one.

Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened.

On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko.

The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve. At this time, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves.

After the Preliminary Eve, people begin preparing for the coming New Year. This is called "Seeing the New Year in".

Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What's more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing.

Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils.

Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper. The content varies from house owners' wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance.  

  The Chinese character "fu" (meaning blessing or happiness) is a must. The character put on paper can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the "reversed fu" is homophonic with "fu comes", both being pronounced as "fudaole." What's more, two big red lanterns can be raised on both sides of the front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall.

People attach great importance to Spring Festival Eve. At that time, all family members eat dinner together. The meal is more luxurious than usual. Dishes such as chicken, fish and bean curd cannot be excluded, for in Chinese, their pronunciations, respectively "ji", "yu" and "doufu," mean auspiciousness, abundance and richness. After the dinner, the whole family will sit together, chatting and watching TV. In recent years, the Spring Festival party broadcast on China Central Television Station (CCTV) is essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad. According to custom, each family will stay up to see the New Year in.

 Waking up on New Year, everybody dresses up. First they extend greetings to their parents. Then each child will get money as a New Year gift, wrapped up in red paper. People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for breakfast, as they think "jiaozi" in sound means "bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new". Also, the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure.  

Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means "higher and higher, one year after another." The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives, friends, and classmates as well as colleagues to exchange greetings, gifts and chat leisurely.

 Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room.

The lively atmosphere not only fills every household, but permeates to streets and lanes. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished. 

China has 56 ethnic groups. Minorities celebrate their Spring Festival almost the same day as the Han people, and they have different customs.

Gregorian calendar 阳历	originate 起源，发生
Dynasty 朝代	sacrifice 祭祀，供奉
ancestor 祖先	stipulate 规定，保证
accompany 伴随	glutinous 粘性的
millet 稷，栗	lotus 莲花
longan 龙眼	gingko 银杏
edible 可食用的	utensil 器具
rejoicing 欣喜，高兴	festivity 欢宴，欢庆
couplets 对联	calligraphy 书法
calligraphy 书法	reversed 颠倒的
homophonic 同音的，齐唱的	auspicious 吉兆的，幸运的
luxurious 奢侈的	leisurely 轻松地，从容不迫
spluttering 溅射	permeate 弥漫，渗透

一、问路时...

East 东
South 南
West 西
North 北
Left 左
Right 右
Straight on 往 前 直 去
There 那 儿
Front 前 方
Back 后 方
Side 侧 旁
Before 之 前
After 之 后
First left/right 第 一 个 转 左 ／ 右 的 路

二、请问如何前往 ...

Excuse me, How do I get to the ....... ? 请 问 如 何 前 往 ¨ ¨ ¨ ？
How do I get to the airport? 请 问 如 何 前 往 机 场 ？
How do I get to the bus station? 请 问 如 何 前 往 公 车 站 ？
How do I get to the metro station? 请 问 如 何 前 往 地 下 铁 路 站 ？
（ Metro 乃 欧 洲 常 用 字 ）
How do I get to the subway station? 请 问 如 何 前 往 地 下 铁 路 站 ？
（ Subway 乃 北 美 洲 常 用 字 ）
How do I get to the underground station? 请 问 如 何 前 往 地 下 铁 路 站 ？
（ underground 乃 英 国 常 用 字 ）
How do I get to the train station? 请 问 如 何 前 往 火 车 站 ？
How do I get to the hotel XXX? 请 问 如 何 前 往 XXX 酒 店 ？
How do I get to the police station? 请 问 如 何 前 往 警 局 ？
How do I get to the post office? 请 问 如 何 前 往 邮 政 局 ？
How do I get to the tourist information office? 请 问 如 何 前 往 旅 游 资 讯 局 ？

三、请问附近 ...

Excuse me, Is there ....... near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 ...？
Is there a baker near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 面 包 店 ？
Is there a bank near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 银 行 ？
Is there a bar near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 酒 吧 ？
Is there a bus stop near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 公 车 站 ？
Is there a cafe near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 咖 啡 店 ？
Is there a cake shop near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 西 饼 店 ？
Is there a change bureau near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 找 换 店
Is there a chemist's near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 药 剂 师 ？
Is there a department store near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 百 货 公 司
Is there a disco near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 的 士 高 ？
Is there a hospital nearby? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 医 院 ？
Is there a night club near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 夜 总 会 ？
Is there a post box near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 邮 政 局 ？
Is there a public toilet near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 公 共 厕 所 ？
Is there a restaurant near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 餐 厅 ？
Is there a telephone near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 电 话 ？
Is there a travel agent near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 旅 游 社 ？
Is there a youth hostel near by? 请 问 附 近 有 没 有 青 年 旅 馆 ？

谢谢！—— Thank you.
多谢！－－ Thanks a lot.
对不起，麻烦你。—— Excuse me.
抱歉。—— Excuse the mess.
需要帮忙吗？－－Can I help you.
谢谢你的帮助。—— Thank you for helping me.
无论如何，我还要感谢你。—— Thanks, anyway.

您好。－－How are you!
初次见面问好。—— How do you do!
很高兴见到你。—— (It's) nice to meet you.
请问您从哪来。－－Where are you from?
请问贵姓。－－Can I have your name?
我叫...。—— My name is ... (I'm ...)
很高兴认识你。—— It was a pleasure meeting you.
很高兴见到你。—— Pleased to meet you.
希望再见到你。—— Hope to see you again.
这是不是说我以后可以再见到你？—— Does that mean that I can see you again?

玩得快乐－－Have a good time.
祝你好运。—— Good luck.
我希望没事。—— I hope nothing is wrong.
怎么了？—— What's the matter?
糟糕，严重吗？—— Oh, no! Is it serious?
我真为你难过。—— I'm sorry for you.
一路平安，走好。—— Have a safe trip home.

boarding check　 登机牌
plane ticket　　 飞机票
flight, flying　 飞行
bumpy flight　　 不平稳的飞行
smooth flight　　平稳的飞行
ramp　　　　　　 扶梯
altitude, height 高度
extra flight　　 加班
non-stop flight　连续飞行
circling　　　　 盘旋
forced landing　 迫降
speed, velocity　速度
ceiling　　　　　上升限度
cruising speed　 巡航速度
top speed　　　　最高速度
first class　　　头等舱
night service　　夜航
airsick　　　　　晕机
to taxi along　　滑行
landing　　　　　着陆
to face the wind 迎风
air route,air line　　　　　　　　 航线
climbing,to gain height　　　　　　爬升
economy class,tourist class　　　　经济舱
connecting flight　　　　　　　　　衔接航班
direct flight, straight flight　　 直飞
to rock, to toss, to bump　　　　　颠簸
to lose height, to fly low　　　　 降低
to take off, take-off　　　　　　　起飞
to board a plane,get into a plane　上飞机
to get off a plane,alight from a plane 下飞机

姓　　　 surname
名　　　 first (given) name
性别　　 sex
出生日期 birthdate
国籍　　 nationality
护照号　 passport No.
编号　　 control No.
签发地　 Issue At
签发日期 Issue Date (或On)
失效日期(或必须在...日之前入境) expiry date ( 或 before)
停留期为......　　　　　　　　　for stays of
10天　　 ten days
8周　　　eight weeks
3个月　　three months
6个月　　six months
1年　　　one year
3年　　　three years
签证种类 visa type(class)

姓　　 family name
名　　 First (Given) Name
性别　 sex
男　　 male
女　　 female
国籍　 nationality
国籍　 country of citizenship
护照号 passport No.
原住地 country of Origin　　 (Country where you live)
前往目的地国 destination country
登机城市　　 city where you boarded
签证签发地　 city where visa was issued
签发日期　　 date issue
前往国家的住址 address while in
街道及门牌号　number and street
城市及国家　　city and state
出生日期　　　date of Birth　(Birthdate)
年　　　　　　year
月　　　　　　month
日　　　　　　day　
偕行人数　　　accompanying number
职业　　　　　occupation
专业技术人员　professionals & technical
行政管理人员　legislators &administrators
办事员　　　　clerk
商业人员　　　commerce (Business People)
服务人员　　　service
农民　　　　　farmer
工人　　　　　worker
其他　　　　　others
无业　　　　　jobless
签名　　　　　signature
官方填写　　　official use only