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Mandarin Shadow 跟读

HSK 1 Chinese Culture Lesson

The Mid-Autumn Festival

中秋节

Zhōngqiūjié

10:03 min video · 31 sentences · 7 key words

About this lesson

This lesson teaches what the Mid-Autumn Festival is, when it happens, and why families gather to eat mooncakes and look at the moon.

How to practise

  1. Read what you will learn on the first card, then follow the lesson section by section with pinyin and English.
  2. Repeat every sentence out loud in the 跟读 · Your turn pause: you learn the facts and the words together.
  3. At the end, check the recap and answer the question in the YouTube comments.

中秋节 Zhōngqiūjié

The Mid-Autumn Festival

In this lesson

  • When the Mid-Autumn Festival happens
  • Why families gather and look at the moon
  • What mooncakes are
  • The legend of Chang'e

Key takeaways

  • The festival is on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.
  • People look at the full moon and eat mooncakes.
  • It is a festival for family to be together.
  • Chang'e is a lady who went to the moon in the legend.

Your turn: Does your culture have a festival about the moon or the harvest, and what do you eat or do?

Key words 生词

ChinesePinyinEnglishLevel
中秋节zhōngqiūjiéMid-Autumn FestivalHSK 5
月饼yuèbǐngmooncakeHSK 5
月亮yuèliangmoonHSK 2
嫦娥cháng'éChang'e, the moon lady of legendHSK 7-9
农历nónglìlunar calendarHSK 7-9
家人jiārénfamily membersHSK 1
放假fàngjiàto have a holidayHSK 1

Transcript with pinyin and English

  1. 你知道中秋节吗？

    Nǐ zhīdào zhōngqiūjié ma?

    Do you know the Mid-Autumn Festival?

  2. 中秋节是中国的大日子。

    Zhōngqiūjié shì zhōngguó de dà rìzi.

    The Mid-Autumn Festival is a big day in China.

  3. 中秋节在农历八月十五。

    Zhōngqiūjié zài nónglì bā yuè shí wǔ.

    It is on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

  4. 这天晚上，月亮很大。

    Zhè tiān wǎnshang, yuèliang hěn dà.

    On this night, the moon is very big.

  5. 月亮也很好看。

    Yuèliang yě hěn hǎokàn.

    The moon is also very beautiful.

  6. 中国人喜欢看月亮。

    Zhōngguó rén xǐhuan kàn yuèliang.

    Chinese people like to look at the moon.

  7. 我们也看一看。

    Wǒmen yě kàn yi kàn.

    Let us look too.

  8. 中秋节是家人的好日子。

    Zhōngqiūjié shì jiārén de hǎo rìzi.

    The Mid-Autumn Festival is a good day for family.

  9. 家人都回家。

    Jiārén dōu huíjiā.

    The family all go home.

  10. 爸爸妈妈在家等你。

    Bàba māma zàijiā děng nǐ.

    Dad and Mom are at home waiting for you.

  11. 我们一起吃晚饭。

    Wǒmen yìqǐ chī wǎnfàn.

    We eat dinner together.

  12. 这天，我们吃月饼。

    Zhè tiān, wǒmen chī yuèbǐng.

    On this day, we eat mooncakes.

  13. 月饼很好吃。

    Yuèbǐng hěn hǎochī.

    Mooncakes are delicious.

  14. 有的月饼里有肉。

    Yǒude yuèbǐng lǐ yǒu ròu.

    Some mooncakes have meat inside.

  15. 有的月饼里有鸡蛋。

    Yǒude yuèbǐng lǐ yǒu jīdàn.

    Some mooncakes have egg inside.

  16. 你想听嫦娥的故事吗？

    Nǐ xiǎng tīng cháng'é de gùshi ma?

    Do you want to hear about Chang'e?

  17. 嫦娥是一个女人。

    Cháng'é shì yí gè nǚren.

    Chang'e is a woman.

  18. 她去了月亮上。

    Tā qù le yuèliang shàng.

    She went up to the moon.

  19. 很多人很想她。

    Hěn duō rén hěn xiǎng tā.

    Many people miss her very much.

  20. 中秋节很早就有了。

    Zhōngqiūjié hěn zǎojiù yǒu le.

    The Mid-Autumn Festival has existed for a long time.

  21. 中国人很早以前就喜欢月亮。

    Zhōngguó rén hěn zǎo yǐqián jiù xǐhuan yuèliang.

    Chinese people liked the moon long ago.

  22. 他们在晚上看月亮。

    Tāmen zài wǎnshang kàn yuèliang.

    They looked at the moon at night.

  23. 现在，我们也一样。

    Xiànzài, wǒmen yě yíyàng.

    Now, we are the same.

  24. 今天，中秋节放假。

    Jīntiān, zhōngqiūjié fàngjià.

    Nowadays, there is a holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

  25. 我们回家，也打电话。

    Wǒmen huíjiā, yě dǎdiànhuà.

    We go home, and also make calls.

  26. 有的人在国外，也看月亮。

    Yǒude rén zài guówài, yě kàn yuèliang.

    Some people are abroad, and also look at the moon.

  27. 他们给家人打电话。

    Tāmen gěi jiārén dǎdiànhuà.

    They call their family.

  28. 中秋节很重要。

    Zhōngqiūjié hěn zhòngyào.

    The Mid-Autumn Festival is very important.

  29. 这天，我们想家人。

    Zhè tiān, wǒmen xiǎng jiārén.

    On this day, we think of family.

  30. 你家吃月饼吗？

    Nǐ jiā chī yuèbǐng ma?

    Does your family eat mooncakes?

  31. 你会和谁一起看月亮？

    Nǐ huì hé shuí yìqǐ kàn yuèliang?

    Who will you look at the moon with?

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