Mandarin Monday: Essential Vocabulary to Welcome Spring

Mandarin Monday is a regular series where we help you improve your Chinese by detailing fun and practical phrases and characters.

Although there was a cold front this weekend, the weather is set to become more spring-like with temperatures gradually rising as the week goes on. To embrace the warmer weather, we thought that this would be the perfect time to take a look at some spring vocabulary! 

Spring Essentials 

• 春天 chūntiān – Spring  
• 春天来了！chūntiān lái le! – Spring has arrived!
• 迎春 yíngchūn – To welcome spring

Seasonal Activities

• 踏青 tàqīng – Spring outing; literally means "step on the greenery"  
• 放风筝 fàng fēngzheng – Fly a kite  
• 赏花 shǎng huā – Admire flowers  
• 散步 sànbù – Take a walk  
• 春游 chūnyóu – Spring excursion  
• 野餐 yěcān  – Picnic

Nature and Weather

• 春雨 chūnyǔ – Spring rain  
• 微风 wēifēng – Breeze  
• 晴天 qíngtiān – Sunny day  
• 温暖 wēnnuǎn – Warm  
• 开花 kāihuā – Blossom
• 花开 huākāi – Flowers blooming  
• 草绿了 cǎo lǜ le – The grass has turned green  
• 阳光 yángguāng – Sunshine  
• 蝴蝶 húdié – Butterfly  
• 蜜蜂 mìfēng – Bee  
• 燕子 yànzi – Swallow (a migratory bird symbolizing spring)

Idioms & Sayings  

• 春暖花开 chūnnuǎn-huākāi – Spring is warm and flowers are blooming; used to describe a beautiful, pleasant spring scene.
• 一年之计在于春 yī nián zhī jì zàiyú chūn – The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring, emphasizing planning and hard work at the start of the year.

What's your favorite thing about spring? Let us know in the comments!

READ: Got Photos of Beijing's Blossoms? Share Them With Us!

Images: Canva