正月

Zhēngyuè

noun HSK 7-9 #39,034

Meanings

HSK 6

正月十五是元宵节。

Zhēngyuè shíwǔ shì Yuánxiāojié.

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

HSK 7-9

正月初一是农历新年。

Zhēngyuè chūyī shì nónglì xīnnián.

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

HSK 7-9

老一辈的人正月里不剪头发。

Lǎoyíbèi 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