Meaning
过年 literally means 'to pass the year' and refers to celebrating the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), the most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture. It encompasses all the festivities, family gatherings, and customs associated with welcoming the new lunar year.
Usage
过年 is used both as a verb (celebrating/spending the New Year) and as a general reference to the New Year period. It's commonly used in phrases like '回家过年' (go home for New Year). The term implies the entire celebration period, not just New Year's Day itself, and carries strong cultural connotations of family reunion.
Examples
- 01今年你打算在哪儿过年？?Where do you plan to spend the New Year this year?
- 02我们全家人一起过年，非常热闹。, .Our whole family celebrates the New Year together; it's very lively.
Characters
Common collocations
- 回家过年to go home for the New Year
- 过年好Happy New Year (greeting)
- 过个好年to have a good New Year celebration
- 在哪儿过年where to spend the New Year
Origin
The word combines 过 (to pass/spend) with 年 (year). Historically, 年 was also the name of a mythical beast that would come on New Year's Eve, leading to traditions of staying up late and making noise to scare it away.