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月到中秋分外明

yuèdàozhōngqiūfènwàimíng
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 the Mid-Autumn moon is especially bright
  2. 2 familiar things feel more precious at the right moment or in one's homeland
  3. 3 (lit.) when the moon arrives at Mid-Autumn, (it is) extraordinarily bright

Examples

月到中秋分外明，家家团圆赏月吃月饼。
Yuè dào zhōngqiū fènwài míng, jiājiā tuányuán shǎngyuè chī yuèbǐng.
The moon at Mid-Autumn is especially bright — every family reunites to view it and eat mooncakes.
人逢佳节倍思亲，月到中秋分外明。
Rén féng jiājié bèi sī qīn, yuè dào zhōngqiū fènwài míng.
People long doubly for loved ones at festivals — the Mid-Autumn moon shines especially bright.

Tips

history
A Ming-Qing era proverb, widely popularized through 《增广贤文》 and Feng Menglong's 《警世通言》: 月到中秋分外明，每逢佳节倍思亲。(The moon at Mid-Autumn is extra bright; at every festival, longing for kin is doubled.) The second half echoes Wang Wei's Tang couplet 独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲.
usage
分外 (fènwài) is read with 4th tone fèn (not fēn), meaning 'extraordinarily / especially.' Often cited together with 每逢佳节倍思亲 around Mid-Autumn Festival greetings.

Stroke Order

月 yuè
到 dào
中 zhōng
秋 qiū
分 fēn
外 wài
明 míng