拜年

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拜年 [2025/08/10 05:28] – created xiaoer拜年 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== bàinián: 拜年 - To Pay a New Year's Visit ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** bai nian, 拜年, Chinese New Year visit, what is bai nian, pay New Year's call, Spring Festival traditions, Chinese New Year customs, visiting relatives in China, Chunjie greetings. +
-  * **Summary:** 拜年 (bàinián) is a cornerstone tradition of the Chinese New Year, referring to the act of visiting family, friends, and elders to exchange greetings and good wishes for the new year. More than just a simple "Happy New Year," it's a social ritual that strengthens bonds and shows respect, often involving the exchange of gifts and red envelopes (hóngbāo). Understanding 拜年 is essential to grasping the social fabric of the Spring Festival. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** bàinián +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Verb-Object Phrase (functions as a verb) +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 4 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** To pay a formal visit or extend greetings to someone during the Chinese New Year period. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** 拜年 is the action of visiting people during the Spring Festival. It's a festive tour of homes, starting with the most senior family members and then moving on to other relatives and friends. The purpose is to reconnect, show respect, and share blessings for the coming year. It's the social heartbeat of the most important holiday in China. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **拜 (bài):** This character means to pay respect, to honor, or to formally visit. Pictorially, it can be seen as representing two hands clasped together in a gesture of respect or prayer. +
-  * **年 (nián):** This character means "year" or "New Year." A popular legend tells of a monster named "Nian" that would attack villages, but was afraid of the color red and loud noises. Thus, celebrating the "year" (过年, guònián) was originally about surviving the monster. +
-  * The two characters combine literally to mean "to pay respect for the year." This perfectly captures the essence of the tradition: visiting others to formally honor them at the start of a new year. +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-  * 拜年 is a fundamental ritual of the **[[春节]] (Chūnjié)**, or Spring Festival. Its primary function is to reinforce social and familial bonds. It's a physical manifestation of key Chinese cultural values like filial piety (孝, xiào) and respect for elders. The unspoken rule is to always visit the oldest generation first (e.g., grandparents), demonstrating a deep-seated respect for hierarchy and seniority. +
-  * **Comparison to Western Culture:** While one might compare 拜年 to visiting family for Christmas or Thanksgiving, there are key differences. Western holiday visits are often centered around a single, large meal at one location. In contrast, 拜年 is a multi-day affair (traditionally from the 1st to the 15th day of the lunar calendar) involving visits to //multiple// households. It's a more structured and ritualized social tour, where the act of visiting itself is as important as the time spent at each location. The focus is less on a single gathering and more on maintaining the entire social network (关系, guānxi). +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-  * 拜年 is a very active tradition in modern China, though it has adapted to contemporary life. +
-  * **Traditional Visits:** +
-    * People, often dressed in new clothes, will visit the homes of senior relatives, bringing gifts like fruit, tea, alcohol, or nutritional supplements. +
-    * Upon arrival, they exchange auspicious greetings like "新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè)" and "恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái)." +
-    * Adults give **[[红包]] (hóngbāo)** (red envelopes with money) to children and unmarried younger adults. +
-    * The hosts will offer snacks, tea, and sometimes insist the visitors stay for a meal. +
-  * **Modern Adaptations (云拜年 - yún bàinián - "Cloud New Year's Visit"):** +
-    * **Phone/Video Calls:** For relatives who live far away, a video call has become a standard and heartfelt way to 拜年. +
-    * **WeChat (微信):** This is huge. People 拜年 by: +
-      * Sending text and voice messages with greetings. +
-      * Using festive "stickers" (表情包, biǎoqíngbāo). +
-      * Sending digital red envelopes (微信红包, Wēixìn hóngbāo), which can be sent to individuals or in group chats for people to "grab." This has gamified the tradition and is incredibly popular. +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 我们明天要去奶奶家**拜年**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒmen míngtiān yào qù nǎinai jiā **bàinián**. +
-    * English: We are going to grandma's house tomorrow to pay a New Year's visit. +
-    * Analysis: This is the most classic and direct usage of the term, describing the physical act of visiting a family member. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 大年初一，最重要的事就是给长辈**拜年**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Dànián chūyī, zuì zhòngyào de shì jiùshì gěi zhǎngbèi **bàinián**. +
-    * English: On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the most important thing is to give New Year's greetings to the elders. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence highlights the cultural importance and hierarchy of 拜年, emphasizing that elders (长辈, zhǎngbèi) come first. +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 你今年怎么**拜年**？是上门拜访还是视频通话？ +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ jīnnián zěnme **bàinián**? Shì shàngmén bàifǎng háishì shìpín tōnghuà? +
-    * English: How are you paying New Year's visits this year? Are you visiting in person or by video call? +
-    * Analysis: This shows the modern evolution of the term, where 拜年 can encompass both traditional visits (上门拜访) and digital ones. +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 很多年轻人现在喜欢在微信上**拜年**，又快又方便。 +
-    * Pinyin: Hěn duō niánqīngrén xiànzài xǐhuān zài Wēixìn shàng **bàinián**, yòu kuài yòu fāngbiàn. +
-    * English: Many young people now like to send New Year's greetings on WeChat; it's both fast and convenient. +
-    * Analysis: This demonstrates the use of 拜年 in a purely digital context, which is a very common usage today. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 别忘了带上礼物，空手去**拜年**不太好。 +
-    * Pinyin: Bié wàngle dài shàng lǐwù, kōngshǒu qù **bàinián** bù tài hǎo. +
-    * English: Don't forget to bring a gift; it's not good to go for a New Year's visit empty-handed. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence provides practical cultural advice. The phrase 空手 (kōngshǒu), "empty-handed," is useful here. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * 我得给我的老板打个电话**拜年**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ děi gěi wǒ de lǎobǎn dǎ ge diànhuà **bàinián**. +
-    * English: I have to call my boss to give him New Year's greetings. +
-    * Analysis: This shows that 拜年 extends beyond family to professional relationships, reinforcing 关系 (guānxi). +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 孩子们最喜欢**拜年**了，因为可以收到很多红包。 +
-    * Pinyin: Háizi men zuì xǐhuān **bàinián** le, yīnwèi kěyǐ shōudào hěn duō hóngbāo. +
-    * English: Children love making New Year's visits the most because they can receive a lot of red envelopes. +
-    * Analysis: This connects 拜年 directly with the beloved tradition of **[[红包]] (hóngbāo)** from a child's perspective. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 他从国外回来，就是为了跟家人一起过年，给亲戚们**拜年**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā cóng guówài huílái, jiùshì wèile gēn jiārén yīqǐ guònián, gěi qīnqimen **bàinián**. +
-    * English: He came back from abroad just to celebrate the New Year with his family and pay visits to relatives. +
-    * Analysis: This illustrates the immense cultural pull of this tradition, powerful enough to bring people home from across the world. +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 春节期间，大家都在互相**拜年**，气氛特别热闹。 +
-    * Pinyin: Chūnjié qījiān, dàjiā dōu zài hùxiāng **bàinián**, qìfēn tèbié rènào. +
-    * English: During the Spring Festival period, everyone is exchanging New Year's visits with each other, and the atmosphere is especially lively. +
-    * Analysis: The word 互相 (hùxiāng) means "mutually" or "each other," perfectly describing the reciprocal nature of 拜年. +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * 今年情况特殊，我们就在网上“云**拜年**”吧。 +
-    * Pinyin: Jīnnián qíngkuàng tèshū, wǒmen jiù zài wǎngshàng “yún **bàinián**” ba. +
-    * English: The situation is special this year, let's just do "cloud New Year's visits" online. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence uses the very modern neologism 云拜年 (yún bàinián), or "cloud visiting," which became widespread during the pandemic and showcases how the language is adapting. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **Not just saying "Happy New Year":** A common mistake is to think 拜年 is simply the verbal greeting. It's the entire event: the travel, the visit, the gift-giving, and the greetings combined. Saying "I will 拜年 you" means "I will come visit you for the New Year," not just "I will wish you a happy new year." +
-  * **Timing is Crucial:** 拜年 begins on the first day of the Lunar New Year (大年初一, Dànián chūyī) and continues for several days. You generally do not 拜年 before New Year's Day. +
-  * **Hierarchy Matters:** There is a strong, though often unstated, social protocol. You visit senior members of your family (grandparents, parents) before visiting peers or younger members. Ignoring this can be seen as disrespectful. +
-  * **Don't Go Empty-Handed:** Showing up to someone's home for a 拜年 visit without a gift (礼物, lǐwù) is a social faux pas. The gift doesn't have to be expensive, but it shows respect and good will. +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * [[春节]] (Chūnjié) - The Spring Festival. 拜年 is a core activity of this holiday. +
-  * [[红包]] (hóngbāo) - Red envelopes containing money, often given to children and unmarried individuals during 拜年 visits. +
-  * [[年夜饭]] (niányèfàn) - The crucial New Year's Eve reunion dinner, the family feast that takes place the night before the 拜年 visits begin. +
-  * [[恭喜发财]] (gōngxǐ fācái) - "Wishing you prosperity." A very common auspicious phrase exchanged during 拜年. +
-  * [[礼物]] (lǐwù) - Gifts. It is customary to bring a gift when you 拜年. +
-  * [[亲戚]] (qīnqi) - Relatives. The primary group of people one visits to 拜年. +
-  * [[长辈]] (zhǎngbèi) - Elders, seniors. The first people one should 拜年 to show respect. +
-  * [[守岁]] (shǒusuì) - The tradition of staying up all night on New Year's Eve to "guard the year," which precedes the first day of 拜年. +
-  * [[祝福]] (zhùfú) - Blessings or well wishes. The exchange of 祝福 is the main purpose of 拜年.+