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HSK 3

节日

festival; holiday

nounneutral
节
jié2nd tone
日
rì4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
jiérì
Part of speech
noun
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
9
Register
neutral
Measure word
个

Stroke order for 节日

节日 is written with 9 strokes (节: 5, 日: 4). The animation replays automatically.

What does 节日 mean?

节日 (jiérì) means 'festival' or 'holiday' — a specially marked day for celebration, remembrance, or rest.

It covers traditional Chinese festivals like 春节 (Spring Festival), 中秋节 (Mid-Autumn Festival), and 端午节 (Dragon Boat Festival), as well as international holidays like 圣诞节 (Christmas) and 国庆节 (National Day). The key contrast for English speakers is 节日 versus 假期 (jiàqī, 'vacation period'). 节日 names the celebratory day itself, with its cultural meaning and traditions; 假期 names the time off work or school that may accompany it.

Spring Festival is a 节日; the seven days off around it is the 假期. The word also lives inside almost every festival name in Chinese — most named celebrations end in 节 (jié), the first character of 节日. Greetings: a generic 'happy holidays' is 节日快乐 (jiérì kuàilè).

Note: Covers cultural festivals (Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn) and public holidays. For a personal day off, 假期 (jiàqī) or 假日 (jiàrì) is more precise.

Character by character

节jiéfestival; section
+
日rìday; sun
=
节日

Memory hook: 节 (festival) + 日 (day) = a festival day — a holiday.

Example sentences

春节是中国最重要的节日。

Chūnjié shì Zhōngguó zuì zhòngyào de jiérì.

Spring Festival is China's most important festival.

neutral

你最喜欢哪个节日？

Nǐ zuì xǐhuan nǎge jiérì?

Which festival do you like the most?

spoken

节日快乐！

Jiérì kuàilè!

Happy holidays!

neutral, polite

我们一家人在一起过节日。

Wǒmen yī jiā rén zài yīqǐ guò jiérì.

Our family celebrates the festival together.

neutral

Common phrases with 节日

过节日guò jiérìto celebrate a festival
节日快乐jiérì kuàilèhappy holidays
中国的节日Zhōngguó de jiérìChinese festivals
传统节日chuántǒng jiérìtraditional festival

Synonyms

假日jiàrì

假日 ('holiday, day off') emphasizes the day-off aspect — no work, no school. 节日 emphasizes celebration and cultural meaning. May Day is both: a 节日 (Labor Day festival) and a 假日 (day off).

假期jiàqī

假期 means 'vacation period' — the stretch of days off, often multiple. 节日 is the celebrated day itself. The Spring Festival is one 节日; the surrounding week is the 春节假期.

Don't confuse 节日 with

节目jiémù

节目 means 'program, show' — what you watch on TV. Both start with 节, but 节目 ends in 目 (item) and refers to entertainment programming, not holidays.

生日shēngrì

生日 is specifically 'birthday' — your personal day. 节日 is a public or cultural festival shared by many. Both end in 日 (day).

FAQ

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