春节 (chūn jié), the Spring Festival, is the biggest holiday of the Chinese year, and in 2027 it begins on Saturday, February 6. This worksheet collects twenty words you hear all season: 除夕 (chú xī, New Year's Eve) and the 年夜饭 (nián yè fàn) reunion dinner, 拜年 (bài nián) visits to relatives, 红包 (hóng bāo) red envelopes full of 压岁钱 (yā suì qián), 春联 (chūn lián) couplets and 福 (fú) on the door, 灯笼 (dēng long) lanterns, 鞭炮 (biān pào) firecrackers and 烟花 (yān huā) fireworks, the lion and dragon dances, and the food: 饺子 (jiǎo zi) dumplings, 年糕 (nián gāo) rice cake, 汤圆 (tāng yuán) rice balls, fish for plenty and mandarin oranges for luck. Every word has pinyin above 田字格 (tián zì gé) tracing grids, so learners trace first and then write from memory. It suits classrooms, weekend Chinese schools and families getting ready to celebrate. Print it free or save the PDF, and say each word aloud as you write it.
New Year's Eve and family visits
New Year's Eve and family visits| Chinese | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|
| 春节 | 春節 | chūn jié | Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) |
| 新年 | 新年 | xīn nián | New Year |
| 除夕 | 除夕 | chú xī | New Year's Eve |
| 年夜饭 | 年夜飯 | nián yè fàn | New Year's Eve dinner |
| 团圆 | 團圓 | tuán yuán | family reunion |
| 拜年 | 拜年 | bài nián | to visit and wish people a happy New Year |
| 守岁 | 守歲 | shǒu suì | to stay up late on New Year's Eve |
Red envelopes and decorations
Red envelopes and decorations| Chinese | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|
| 红包 | 紅包 | hóng bāo | red envelope (of gift money) |
| 压岁钱 | 壓歲錢 | yā suì qián | New Year money given to children |
| 春联 | 春聯 | chūn lián | spring couplets |
| 福 | 福 | fú | good fortune; blessing |
| 灯笼 | 燈籠 | dēng long | lantern |
Firecrackers and dances
Firecrackers and dances| Chinese | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|
| 鞭炮 | 鞭炮 | biān pào | firecrackers |
| 烟花 | 煙花 | yān huā | fireworks |
| 舞狮 | 舞獅 | wǔ shī | lion dance |
| 舞龙 | 舞龍 | wǔ lóng | dragon dance |
New Year food
New Year food| Chinese | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|
| 饺子 | 餃子 | jiǎo zi | dumplings |
| 年糕 | 年糕 | nián gāo | New Year rice cake |
| 汤圆 | 湯圓 | tāng yuán | sweet rice balls |
| 鱼 | 魚 | yú | fish (a wish for plenty: 年年有余) |
| 橘子 | 橘子 | jú zi | mandarin orange |
The zodiac
The zodiac| Chinese | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|
| 生肖 | 生肖 | shēng xiào | zodiac animal |
More Chinese New Year worksheets
- Chinese New Year worksheets: Lunar New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, and opens the Year of the Goat, 羊年 (yáng nián), also called the Year of the Sheep or Ram. Free printable sheets for every age, with pinyin and English.
- New Year for Kindergarten: Eighteen big, simple characters for preschool and kindergarten, from 年 (nián), 春 (chūn) and 福 (fú) to 人 (rén), 山 (shān) and 水 (shuǐ). 年 春 福 红
- New Year Greetings: The spoken New Year wishes, from 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) and 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) to 身体健康 (shēn tǐ jiàn kāng) for grandparents. 新年快乐 春节快乐 过年好 恭喜发财
- Year of the Goat: 2027 is the Year of the Goat, 羊年 (yáng nián), starting on Saturday, February 6; 羊 (yáng) also covers sheep and rams. 羊 羊年 山羊 绵羊
- Zodiac Animals: Write 生肖 (shēng xiào) and all twelve zodiac animals in order, from the Rat, 鼠 (shǔ), to the Pig, 猪 (zhū). 生肖 鼠 牛 虎
- Fu Character & Spring Couplets: Write 福 (fú) and the parts of a spring couplet, then copy a traditional door couplet line by line. 福 春联 对联 上联
- Lantern Festival: Words for 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié), the night of lanterns: 汤圆 (tāng yuán), 花灯 (huā dēng), 灯谜 (dēng mí) riddles and the first full moon of the year. 元宵节 元宵 汤圆 正月十五
- Yuan Ri (元日): Copy Wang Anshi's 元日 (yuán rì), the classic Chinese New Year poem, line by line with pinyin. 爆竹声中一岁除 春风送暖入屠苏 千门万户曈曈日 总把新桃换旧符
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important Chinese New Year words?
Start with 春节 (chūn jié, Spring Festival), 除夕 (chú xī, New Year's Eve), 年夜饭 (nián yè fàn, the reunion dinner), 红包 (hóng bāo, red envelope) and 拜年 (bài nián, visiting relatives to wish them a happy New Year). This sheet adds fifteen more, from lanterns to dumplings.
What is a red envelope, 红包 (hóng bāo), and who gives it?
A 红包 (hóng bāo) is a red envelope of money. Parents, grandparents and other married relatives give them to children at New Year, and the money inside is called 压岁钱 (yā suì qián). Red stands for luck, so the envelope matters as much as the gift.
What do people eat at Chinese New Year?
Dumplings, 饺子 (jiǎo zi), are the northern favorite; fish, 鱼 (yú), is served for 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú), plenty every year; and 年糕 (nián gāo), rice cake, sounds like 'higher every year'. Sweet 汤圆 (tāng yuán) close the season at the Lantern Festival.
How do you say firecrackers and lantern in Chinese?
Firecrackers are 鞭炮 (biān pào) and fireworks are 烟花 (yān huā). A lantern is 灯笼 (dēng long), with a neutral tone on the second syllable, and a decorated festival lantern is 花灯 (huā dēng).
Is this worksheet free to print?
Yes. The Chinese New Year words worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed, and you can print as many copies as you like for a class. Choose A4 or US Letter before you press Print or Save PDF.