HSK 1 3 Common Mistakes When Speaking Chinese During New Year 春节常犯错误 l Chinese Podcast

Hello everyone Welcome to Learn Chinese On The Go Today we're talking about common mistakes people make during Chinese New Year Welcome to our show I'm Xiao Mei I'm Daming Today we're going to talk about a really interesting topic Yes it's related to Chinese New Year The Spring Festival is coming up right Right lots of people love the Spring Festival Spring Festival is a major holiday People celebrate it with their families But did you know What During Spring Festival we sometimes make small mistakes Oh really Yes these mistakes can definitely make people feel uncomfortable Really I don't know So let's talk about this today Hmm common mistakes during Spring Festival This topic is quite interesting Yes we can learn a lot For instance some things shouldn't be said casually Oh I see Some gifts shouldn 't be given lightly either What else There are also some small customs For example Like the color of clothing you wear Does the color matter Yes there are many traditions surrounding Spring Festival Sounds really interesting We'll discuss this in several parts Today is the first part Yes today we'll briefly go over Why do these errors occur Because cultures vary from place to place Oh I see And many customs have deep historical roots We often unknowingly break them Yes so we need to learn more That way we can celebrate the Lunar New Year more meaningfully It also makes our friends and family happier Wonderful Today we'll start by getting acquainted with this topic Yes knowing about these mistakes Gradually we'll go into great detail For example what exactly is the gift Yes we'll go through each one individually What should we avoid saying Everything will be shared Great I'm really looking forward to it Please continue listening to our program See you next time Daming last time were discussing common mistakes people make during the Lunar New Year Yes I'm really curious—what exactly are the things you can't say Alright today let's have a proper discussion about that During the Lunar New Year there are certain things you really shouldn't say For example I'm really curious The most common advice is to avoid saying anything unlucky For instance saying you're out of money Oh I see that's considered bad luck Yes and don't say it's broken or gone Why Because "broken" sounds unpleasant indeed These words sound unlucky for the new year so it's best to avoid them Makes sense what else should I avoid Also don't mention words like "sick" or "dead"—those are very important Oh I almost said that wrong—I'll remember Yes especially on New Year's Day you need to be extra careful Xiao Mei have you ever encountered someone accidentally saying the wrong thing Of course there was I had a friend who went visiting during the Lunar New Year Hmm what happened He saw a child crying and said "Don't cry bad children don't get candy " What's wrong with not getting candy During the Spring Festival leaving out this word feels off—it sounds like something's missing Really I never noticed that before Yes we can rephrase it for example "Good children get candy " Oh I see that's more positive Exactly we should use more positive and encouraging words What if something at home actually breaks and can't be used The best solution is to avoid fixing it during the Lunar New Year period and wait until after the holidays to deal with it That way there's no need to say something unpleasant—really clever Yes this avoids using negative words I truly think these small details are extremely important Yes they can make the New Year atmosphere more festive and bring people more joy I have another question—everyone loves saying "Wishing you prosperity " Yes that's a wonderful blessing What if someone says "I don't want to get rich"—is that okay Haha Daming that won't work—even if you truly don't want to you still have to say thank you Got it you must accept the kindness Yes during the New Year speak kindly and listen to kind words Xiao Mei do you have any special Spring Festival memories related to these taboos Once when I was a child my grandmother told me not to wash my hair on the first day of the Lunar New Year Why can't you wash your hair That was the first time I'd ever heard of it She said washing your hair would wash away your luck and good fortune Wow that custom is fascinating— is it common in many places Many places have similar expressions though the specific details may vary slightly Really learned something new—seems there are indeed plenty of traditions surrounding the Spring Festival Yes these are all part of our traditional culture and quite fascinating Today I learned a lot about things that shouldn't be said and various customs I hope this helps everyone enjoy a joyful Lunar New Year That would definitely be helpful—I'll remind my family and friends That's wonderful let's talk about other interesting Spring Festival traditions next time Sounds great I'm really looking forward to it Da Ming when it comes to the Spring Festival have you ever heard of any little mistakes people make when giving gifts Oh giving gifts— I think I’ve heard a bit about it like certain things you shouldn’t give right Yes exactly—like giving a clock Why can't you give a clock Because "giving a clock" sounds too similar to "attending a funeral " Giving a clock—what does that mean Giving a clock means sending someone off to the end of their life Oh that sounds unpleasant Yes it's considered very unlucky so don't give clocks as gifts during the Spring Festival I understand now—I nearly gave my grandfather a beautiful clock Good thing you didn't give it also scissors and knives shouldn't be given Why not scissors and knives Because they symbolize separation or cutting off Oh Spring Festival is a time for family reunions Yes so giving scissors or knives is considered unlucky I see then is giving books okay Sending books is generally acceptable but it depends on the content For example giving a book about history That would be fine Also be careful when giving shoes Shoes What's wrong with shoes Because "shoe" and "bad luck" sound somewhat similar Is "shoe" considered bad Yes it means something negative unlucky Wow there are so many rules for Spring Festival Yes so everyone should learn more Let me tell you about an example from a friend of mine Oh go on tell me He went to a friend's house to celebrate the Lunar New Year and brought along a lot of fruit Fruit is great isn't it Yes but he gave him four pears Four pears four pears The word for pear sounds the same both times Pears mean "to separate " right Yes exactly—splitting pears His friend saw the pears and his face changed Haha his friend must’ve thought he wanted to split pears Yes his friend later told him not to give pears This is also a common mistake My friend felt quite embarrassed at the time Yes giving gifts is a complex art I'll have to be more careful when giving gifts from now on Yes intention matters but customs matter too Xiao Mei have you ever received a gift that made you feel uncomfortable Hmm I once got a toy as a child but it broke A broken toy Yeah it was from my cousin—he probably didn’t know How did you feel at the time I'm a little upset but Mom said it's okay Kids probably don't understand that well True but adults should still put some thought into gifts Absolutely—effort matters Hmm also red is the best color Red envelopes are red Yes red symbolizes celebration and good fortune I'll use more red wrapping for gifts next time That sounds great I've learned so much today I hope everyone can send heartfelt wishes I believe everyone will remember these moments Yes remember these tips and the Spring Festival will be even more enjoyable By the way Xiao Mei are there any other important things to keep in mind for the Spring Festival Hmm there's one more very important thing What is it You just can't say unlucky words Unlucky words Yes words like death or bad things Oh I see During Spring Festival people prefer to hear good words Yes wishing you a happy new year and good health Yes those are good wishes I remember when I was a child I once accidentally What happened I said a word that didn't exist And then what My grandmother immediately said "Spit spit " Haha she told you to spit Yes she said doing so would spit out bad luck That's right it's a traditional practice Back then I didn't understand Now do you get it Now that you understand speak nicely Also during the Lunar New Year be careful not to break anything Breaking things Yes like bowls or cups What if you accidentally break one Don't worry there's a good remedy What's the remedy You can say "break it stay safe " Fragile peace why is it phrased this way Because "fragile" sounds similar to "hair " Oh I see now So it's not a bad thing after all This is a great way to express it Yes turning bad luck into good I used to only know to be careful Now you know how to say it I once broke a plate Did you say " break it for safety" I was too scared to speak at the time It's alright you'll know it later Yes I'll remember from now on Also don't cut your hair during the Lunar New Year Why not People believe cutting hair on New Year's Day brings bad luck Oh I've never heard that before So don't get a haircut on the first day of the Lunar New Year I see how that works now Also avoid doing laundry I've never heard of that either People believe it washes away good fortune Wow there are so many traditions during Spring Festival Yes but they're all quite fascinating Exactly I've learned a lot Wishing everyone a wonderful Lunar New Year Yes I feel the same But after all we've discussed I have a question Go ahead and ask Has anyone actually made these mistakes Of course for example I have a friend who accidentally broke a bowl during the Lunar New Year Oh what should he do His mother quickly said "Broken pieces bring peace " What does "broken pieces bring peace" mean It means to be safe and sound every year which is a blessing Oh I see breaking a bowl is bad luck but saying kind words can change that Yes that's exactly it Sometimes if we accidentally make a mistake during the Lunar New Year we can say some auspicious words to ease the situation How fascinating— are there any other similar examples Hmm there's another situation—saying something unlucky For example Like don't say the word "death " or "poor " Oh I see those are bad words Yes during the Spring Festival everyone enjoys hearing pleasant words wishing everything will be good in the new year I understand I remember when I was a child I once said the wrong thing during the Spring Festival Really Yes I was young back then and didn’t understand such things I said something unpleasant and then what My grandmother immediately covered my mouth saying Yes meaning children’s words Don't worry about it—it won't bring bad luck Haha I see now your grandmother's really smart Yes she always knows just what to do Wishing everyone a joyful Spring Festival These little stories truly help us better understand the culture of the Spring Festival Yes I also think it's not just about knowing what not to do You also need to know what to do if you end up doing it Exactly that's real learning Yes I completely agree Knowing these things is very useful Yes Lunar New Year culture is truly rich We learned a great deal about new things Not just language but also culture Yes culture is more important Understanding why is more important than knowing what to do Hmm next Spring Festival I won't make the same mistake again Me too I'll be more careful For example I know I shouldn't say the word "death " Right and I shouldn't give funeral-related gifts These little details are truly fascinating and incredibly helpful Thank you Daming for teaching me so much today Xiaomei it's been a pleasure chatting with you Today's chat was really interesting I liked it too I learned a lot I also learned a lot Knowing these mistakes can help us Yes it can help us better understand the Lunar New Year Better communication with Chinese people Yes that's the most important thing Glad we could chat today Me too Hope our listeners have learned something too I think they will it's a great topic The Lunar New Year is a significant festival Understanding it allows you to fully appreciate it Yes follow local customs when in a place That word was said so well So learning about culture is important Yes not just during Spring Festival Any holiday any place—it's the same Alright let's talk about something else next time Alright I'm really looking forward to it For example we could talk about Chinese cuisine That sounds great I love eating I do too Well then that's all for today's show Thank you all for listening Thank you Daming Thank you Xiaomei Goodbye everyone Goodbye Bye-bye Alright that's all for today If you like it please like and subscribe See you next time