节日
festival; holiday
jiérì
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
Character breakdown
festival; section
day; sun
Memory hook: 节 (festival) + 日 (day) = a festival day — a holiday.
Measure word for 节日
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
Synonyms
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 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.