立春

lìchūn

noun

Meanings

1 Lichun
2 Beginning of Spring (1st of the 24 solar terms)

Characters

to stand; establish

Examples

立春一般在二月四号左右。

Lìchūn yìbān zài èr yuè sì hào zuǒyòu.

Lichun usually falls around February 4th.

立春以后天气就慢慢暖和了。

Lìchūn yǐhòu tiānqì jiù mànmàn nuǎnhuo le.

After Lichun the weather gradually warms up.

老人常说：一年之计在于春，立春最重要。

Lǎorén cháng shuō: yī nián zhī jì zàiyú chūn, lìchūn zuì zhòngyào.

Elders often say: the year's plans begin in spring, and Lichun is the most important.

Tips

culture

First of the 二十四节气 (24 solar terms), marking the astronomical start of spring. Traditional customs include 咬春 (biting spring) — eating spring pancakes (春饼) or raw radish — and 打春牛 (whipping the spring ox), a ritual encouraging farmers to begin the year's work.

usage

立 (lì) means 'to establish/set up' and prefixes all four season-starting solar terms: 立春, 立夏 (Beginning of Summer), 立秋 (Beginning of Autumn), 立冬 (Beginning of Winter).

Stroke Order

立 lì

春 chūn