正月十五

zhēngyuè shíwǔ

phrase

Meanings

1 the fifteenth day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival)

Characters

first (in 正月)

Examples

HSK 2

老话说,不过正月十五年就没过完。

Lǎohuà shuō, bùguò zhēngyuè shíwǔ nián jiù méi guò wán.

As the old saying goes, until you've celebrated the 15th, Chinese New Year isn't really over.

HSK 7-9

正月十五是元宵节,要吃汤圆。

Zhēngyuè shíwǔ shì Yuánxiāojié, yào chī tāngyuán.

The 15th day of the first lunar month is Lantern Festival, you should eat glutinous rice balls.

Tips

culture

正月十五 marks the Lantern Festival (元宵节), the traditional end of the Chinese New Year period. People eat 元宵 / 汤圆 (glutinous rice balls), watch lantern displays (赏花灯), and solve lantern riddles (猜灯谜).

usage

正月 is pronounced zhēngyuè, not zhèngyuè, an irregular reading specifically for the first lunar month.

Stroke Order

正 zhèng

月 yuè

十 shí

五 wǔ