小年

xiǎonián

noun

Meanings

1 Little New Year (Kitchen God festival on lunar 12/23 or 12/24)
2 off-year (for fruit crops)

Characters

Examples

北方人腊月二十三过小年。

Běifāng rén làyuè èrshísān guò xiǎonián.

Northerners celebrate Little New Year on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

小年一到，就该准备过年了。

Xiǎonián yí dào, jiù gāi zhǔnbèi guò nián le.

Once Little New Year arrives, it's time to start preparing for the New Year.

今年是苹果的小年，产量低。

Jīnnián shì píngguǒ de xiǎonián, chǎnliàng dī.

This year is an off-year for apples; the yield is low.

Tips

culture

Lunar New Year kicks off with 小年, the day families 'send off' the Kitchen God (祭灶) to report on the household. Date differs by region: northern China observes it on 12/23, southern China on 12/24.

Stroke Order

小 xiǎo

年 nián