Pay A New Year Call
2006-01-10 16:09:29 chinaculture.org
An important activity during the Spring Festival is Bai Nian (to pay a New Year call). People start to pay New Year calls from the lunar New Year's Day, that is, the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar.
On the morning of the lunar New Year's Day, people get up very early and call on others. The earlier one does so, the more sincere he is. Moreover, people wear new clothes and a new cap, symbolizing that a new year has begun.
The younger generation should call on their elders first, such as the grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother, wishing them "Good health" and "Long life". Then the elders give children some money in a red envelope as a New Year gift. After that, people call on their relatives, friends and neighbors. As "big tangerine" is a homonym for "very lucky" in Chinese, so people often present red big tangerines as a gift while paying a New Year call. And ever since the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century, ordinary people have begun to exchange greeting cards.Nowadays, people also use telephones and e-mails to pay New Year calls.

天气和日期 Tiānqì hé rìqī Whether and date

1. 北京冬天不是很冷。 Běijīng dōngtiān búshì hěn lěng。 Winter in Beijing is not very cold.


2. 今天天气很不错。 Jīntiān tiānqì hěn búcuò。 It is a pretty good day today.


3. 明天可能会下雨。 Míngtiān kě’néng huì xiàyǔ。 It will possibly rain tomorrow.


4. 你带雨伞了吗？ Nǐ dài yǔsǎn le ma？ Have you brought umbrella?


5. 要下雨了，我们快走吧。 Yào xiàyǔ le，wǒmen kuài zǒu ba？ Rain is impending, we must go quickly.


6. 今天星期天。 Jīntiān shì xīngqītiān。 Today is Sunday.


7. 后天是你的生日吧？ Hòutiān shì nǐ de shēngrì ba？ Is it your birthday the day after tomorrow?


8. 明天是几号？ Míngtiān shì jǐ hào？ What is date tomorrow?


9. 上周六你在哪里？ Shàng zhōuliù nǐ zài nǎlǐ? Where were you last Saturday?


10. 我不知道确切日期。 Wǒ bù zhīdào quèqiè rìqī。 I do not know the exactly date.