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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 14

春节文化 Spring Festival culture

Chūnjié wénhuà

Discussing Spring Festival customs. Teaches V + 过 (experiential) and pairs with 从来没 + V + 过 (never have).

Dialogue

你包过饺子吗? — Have you wrapped dumplings?

何老师王wáng明míng, 你nǐ包bāo过guò饺jiǎo子zǐ吗ma? Wang Ming, have you ever wrapped dumplings?
王明包bāo过guò, 但dàn包bāo得dé不bù好hǎo. I have, but not well.
林雪回huí到dào家jiā乡xiāng, 我wǒ每měi年nián都dōu和hé一yì家jiā人rén一yì起qǐ包bāo. 包bāo饺jiǎo子zǐ是shì过guò年nián的de传chuán统tǒng. Back in my hometown, I wrap them with the whole family every year — it is a New Year tradition.
何老师春chūn联lián呢ne? 你nǐ贴tiē过guò吗ma? And couplets? Have you ever pasted them?
王明没méi贴tiē过guò. 听tīng说shuō很hěn有yǒu意yì思sī. Never. I heard it is interesting.
林雪今jīn年nián我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ做zuò, 我wǒ教jiào你nǐ. Let's do it together this year — I'll teach you.

Dialogue

从来没看过烟花 — Never seen fireworks

王明过guò年nián的de鞭biān炮pào真zhēn热rè闹nào. 你nǐ听tīng过guò吗ma? The New Year firecrackers are so lively. Have you heard them?
何老师听tīng过guò. 我wǒ小xiǎo的de时shí候hòu, 家jiā家jiā都dōu放fàng. Yes. When I was small, every household set them off.
林雪我wǒ从cóng来lái没méi看kàn过guò大dài城chéng市shì的de烟yān花huā. I have never seen big-city fireworks.
何老师今jīn年nián我wǒ们men去qù看kàn. 也yě去qù拜bài年nián. Let's go see them this year. And go visit for New Year too.
王明老lǎo师shī, 您nín给gěi我wǒ们men讲jiǎng一yí下xià风fēng俗sú吧ba. Teacher, tell us about the customs.
何老师好hǎo. 各gè地dì的de风fēng俗sú不bù一yí样yàng, 年nián夜yè饭fàn、红hóng包bāo、灯dēng笼long, 都dōu是shì文wén化huà. OK. Customs differ by region — New Year dinner, red envelopes, lanterns are all culture.

Vocabulary

文wén化huà: noun culture
故gù事shì: noun story (recall Bk2)
风fēng俗sú: noun custom; tradition
传chuán统tǒng: noun tradition; traditional
鞭biān炮pào: noun firecrackers
烟yān花huā: noun fireworks
拜bài年nián: verb pay a New Year visit
包bāo饺jiǎo子zǐ: verb wrap dumplings
过guò: pcl. (particle — experiential: ever done) (recall Bk1)
从cóng来lái: adverb always; ever (recall Bk2)
春chūn联lián: noun Spring Festival couplets
有yǒu意yì思sī: adjective interesting (recall Bk2)
讲jiǎng: verb tell; speak (recall Bk2)
热rè闹nào: adjective lively (recall ch12)
年nián夜yè饭fàn: noun New Year's Eve dinner
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)
何hé老lǎo师shī: pn. Teacher He (persona — recall ch13)

New characters

传: (in 传统 = tradition; traditional)
传统 chuántǒng — tradition; traditional传说 chuánshuō — legend; folktale
统: (in 传统 = tradition; traditional)
传统 chuántǒng — tradition; traditional
联: (in 春联 = Spring Festival couplets)
春联 chūnlián — Spring Festival couplets
烟: (in 烟花 = fireworks)
烟花 yānhuā — fireworks
鞭: (in 鞭炮 = firecrackers)
鞭炮 biānpào — firecrackers
炮: (in 鞭炮 = firecrackers)
鞭炮 biānpào — firecrackers
城: city (recall Bk1)
城市 chéngshì — city (recall ch30)
拜: (in 拜年 = pay a New Year visit)
拜年 bàinián — pay a New Year visit
俗: (in 风俗 = custom; tradition)
风俗 fēngsú — custom; tradition
各gè
化: change; -ize (in 文化)
文化 wénhuà — culture变化 biànhuà — change

Hanzi — writing & recognition

化

huà change; -ize (in 文化) Writing

4 strokes left-right

讲

jiǎng tell; speak (recall Bk2) Writing

6 strokes left-right

文

wén culture; writing (recall Bk1) Recognition

4 strokes single

故

gù old; reason (in 故事/故乡) Recognition

9 strokes left-right

Grammar

Reduplicated measure words AA — every one (三11)

Explanation

A measure word reduplicated to AA (家家 / 年年 / 件件 / 天天 / 次次) means "every single one, no exception". 家家都过年 = every household celebrates the New Year. 年年都回家 = every year I go home. The reduplicated MW is often subject or adverbial, usually followed by 都.

Examples

过年的时候, 家家都买新衣服. At New Year, every household buys new clothes.
我们年年都回家. We go home every year.
这里件件衣服都好看. Every piece of clothing here is nice.
他天天都来. He comes every day.

Grammar

各 / 每 / 任何 (三08)

Explanation

Grammar-01 used MW reduplication for "every one". Three demonstratives here: 各 = each (各地 / 各国, usually no MW after). 每 = every (每个地方, usually + MW). 任何 = any whatsoever (任何时候 / 任何人, for emphasis with 都). 各 is written-leaning; 每 is the everyday choice.

Examples

中国各地都过春节. Everywhere in China celebrates Spring Festival.
每个地方的菜都不一样. Every place's food is different.
任何时候都可以来. You can come any time.
各国都有自己的节日. Every country has its own festivals.

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