Traditions and customs Chinese vocabulary: Outside HSK

从前迎亲要抬花轿。

Cóngqián yíngqīn yào tái huājiào.

In the old days, fetching the bride meant sending a bridal sedan chair.

过去新娘坐花轿出嫁。

Guòqù xīnniáng zuò huājiào chūjià.

In the past, brides rode in a bridal sedan chair to their weddings.

宝宝抓周时，抓了一支笔。

Bǎobao zhuāzhōu shí, zhuāle yìzhī bǐ.

At his first-birthday zhuazhou, the baby picked up a pen.

抓周时，孩子会选什么呢？

Zhuāzhōu shí, háizi huì xuǎn shénme ne?

At the zhuazhou, what will the child pick?

太平年月寿星多

tàipíng nián yue shòuxīng duō

in peaceful years there are many long-lived elders

寿星笑着收下了红包。

Shòuxīng xiàozhe shōuxiàle hóngbāo.

Smiling, the birthday elder accepted the red envelope.

亲戚们都来给外婆祝寿了。

Qīnqimen dōu lái gěi wàipó zhùshòu le.

The relatives have all come to celebrate Grandma's birthday.

这幅画画的是八仙祝寿的故事。

Zhè fú huàhuà de shì bāxiān zhùshòu de gùshi.

This painting depicts the story of the Eight Immortals celebrating a birthday.

殡葬费用越来越高了。

Bìnzàng fèiyòng yuèláiyuè gāole.

Funeral and burial costs keep getting higher.

各地的殡葬习俗很不一样。

Gèdì de bìnzàng xísú hěn bù yíyàng.

Funeral and burial customs differ a lot from place to place.

亲人们守在灵柩旁边。

Qīn rénmen shǒu zài língjiù pángbiān.

The family kept watch beside the coffin.

灵柩前摆着白色的花。

Língjiù qián bǎizhe báisè de huā.

White flowers were placed in front of the coffin.

家人要在灵堂守灵三夜。

Jiārén yào zài língtáng shǒulíng sān yè.

The family has to keep vigil by the coffin in the mourning hall for three nights.

老家还有守灵的习俗吗？

Lǎojiā háiyǒu shǒulíng de xísú ma?

Does your hometown still have the custom of keeping vigil by the coffin?

吊唁时不要穿红色衣服。

Diàoyàn shí búyào chuān hóngsè yīfu.

Don't wear red clothes when you go to pay your respects to the deceased.

邻居去世了，我们要去吊唁。

Línjū qùshì le, wǒmen yào qù diàoyàn.

Our neighbor has passed away, so we should go to offer our condolences.

以前农村大多实行土葬。

Yǐqián nóngcūn dàduō shíxíng tǔzàng.

In the past, most rural areas practiced burial in the ground.

土葬和火葬有什么不同？

Tǔzàng hé huǒzàng yǒu shénme bùtóng?

What's the difference between burial and cremation?

他请了假，要回乡下祭祖。

Tā qǐngle jià, yào huíxiāng xià jìzǔ.

He took time off to go back to the countryside and honor his ancestors.

清明节，我们全家回老家祭祖。

Qīngmíngjié, wǒmen quánjiā huílǎojiā jìzǔ.

At Qingming, our whole family goes back to our hometown to honor our ancestors.

她为父亲披上了孝服。

Tā wèi fùqīn pī shàng le xiàofú.

She put on mourning dress for her father.

家属都穿着白色孝服。

Jiāshǔ dōu chuānzhe báisè xiàofú.

The family members were all wearing white mourning clothes.

住在这里就得入乡随俗啊。

Zhù zài zhèlǐ jiù de rùxiāngsuísú a.

If you live here, you have to follow the local customs.

到了国外，你最好入乡随俗。

Dàole guówài, nǐ zuìhǎo rùxiāngsuísú.

When you're abroad, it's best to do as the locals do.

门上挂这面镜子能辟邪。

Ménshàng guà zhè miàn jìngzi néng bìxié.

Hanging this mirror on the door can ward off evil spirits.

门上挂镜子是为了辟邪。

Ménshàng guà jìngzi shì wèile bìxié.

Hanging a mirror on the door is meant to ward off evil.

搬新家要先择日吗？

Bān xīn jiā yào xiān zérì ma?

Do you have to choose a lucky date before moving into a new home?

结婚前，两家人要择日。

Jiéhūn qián, liǎng jiā rén yào zérì.

Before a wedding, the two families have to pick an auspicious date.

他爷爷出殡那天下了大雨。

Tā yéye chūbìn nà tiānxià le dàyǔ.

It rained heavily on the day his grandfather was carried to his burial.

出殡那天，亲戚们都来了。

Chūbìn nàtiān, qīnqimen dōu láile.

On the day of the funeral procession, all the relatives came.

回门该带什么礼物？

Huímén gāi dài shénme lǐwù?

What gifts should we bring for the bride's first visit back home?

明天我们俩一起回门。

Míngtiān wǒmen liǎ yìqǐ huímén.

Tomorrow the two of us are going to my parents' home together for the post-wedding visit.

她正在守孝，不参加婚礼。

Tā zhèngzài shǒuxiào, bù cānjiā hūnlǐ.

She is in mourning for her parent, so she won't attend the wedding.

父亲去世后，他守孝三年。

Fùqīn qùshì hòu, tā shǒuxiào sān nián.

After his father died, he observed three years of mourning.

蛋糕旁边放着一盘寿桃。

Dàngāo pángbiān fàngzhe yì pán shòutáo.

A plate of longevity peaches sits next to the cake.

寿桃蒸好了，快给爷爷端去。

Shòutáo zhēng hǎole, kuài gěi yéye duān qù.

The longevity peach buns are steamed, so hurry and take them to Grandpa.

过生日也吃寿面吗？

Guòshēngrì yě chī shòumiàn ma?

Do you eat longevity noodles on your birthday too?

寿面不能剪断，寓意长寿。

Shòumiàn bùnéng jiǎnduàn, yùyì chángshòu.

Longevity noodles must not be cut, because they stand for a long life.

风水先生来看过墓地了。

Fēngshuǐxiānsheng láikàn guo mùdì le.

The geomancer has already come to look at the burial site.

民间故事里有个风水先生。

Mínjiāngùshi lǐ yǒu gè fēngshuǐxiānsheng.

There is a feng shui master in the folk tale.

清明节，奶奶烧了冥币。

Qīngmíngjié, nǎinai shāole míngbì.

During the Qingming Festival, my grandmother burned spirit money.

冥币不是真的钱，不能花。

Míngbì bú shì zhēnde qián, bùnéng huā.

Spirit money isn't real money, so you can't spend it.