头七

頭七

tóuqī

noun

Meanings

1 the first seven days after a person's death
2 the seventh day memorial (when the soul is said to return home)

Characters

Examples

今天是爷爷的头七，全家都回来了。

Jīntiān shì yéye de tóuqī, quánjiā dōu huílái le.

Today is Grandpa's seventh-day memorial; the whole family has come back.

传说头七那天逝者的灵魂会回家看一眼。

Chuánshuō tóuqī nà tiān shìzhě de línghún huì huíjiā kàn yì yǎn.

Legend has it on the seventh day the deceased's soul comes home for one last look.

头七之前家里不能动死者的遗物。

Tóuqī zhīqián jiālǐ bùnéng dòng sǐzhě de yíwù.

Before the seventh-day memorial the family shouldn't move the deceased's belongings.

Tips

culture

Chinese mourning traditionally has seven 七s (every 7 days for 49 days). 头七 is the first and most important — families are supposed to leave the house empty at night so the returning soul isn't startled by the living.

Stroke Order

头 tóu

七 qī