正月 (Zhēngyuè): first month of the lunar year

Meanings

Zhēngyuè chū yī shì nónglì xīnnián.

The first day of the first lunar month is Chinese New Year.

Zhēngyuè shíwǔ shì Yuánxiāojié.

The fifteenth of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

Lǎo yī bèi de rén Zhēngyuè lǐ bù jiǎn tóufa.

Older generations don't cut their hair during the first lunar month.

history

Read zhēng (not zhèng) here. The first-tone reading is a historical avoidance of the Qin emperor Ying Zheng's (嬴政) personal name.

culture

Most Chinese holidays cluster in 正月: New Year, Lantern Festival, and the 'breaking of fast' traditions all fall here.

正 zhèng

月 yuè