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HSK 2 Chinese Culture Lesson

The Dragon Boat Festival

端午节

Duānwǔjié

2:45 min video · 8 sentences · 6 key words

Transcript with pinyin and English

Hide the English to test yourself.
  1. 你知道端午节吗？Nǐ zhīdào duānwǔjié ma?Do you know the Dragon Boat Festival?
  2. 它在五月五日，是夏天的节日。Tā zài wǔ yuè wǔ rì, shì xiàtiān de jiérì.It is on the fifth of the fifth month, a summer festival.
  3. 很早以前，有一个人叫屈原。Hěn zǎo yǐqián, yǒu yí gèrén jiào Qū Yuán.Long ago, there was a man called Qu Yuan.
  4. 他是有名的诗人，大家都很爱他。Tā shì yǒumíng de shīrén, dàjiā dōu hěn ài tā.He was a famous poet, and everyone loved him.
  5. 人们想记住他，就有了龙舟。Rénmen xiǎng jìzhu tā, jiù yǒu le lóngzhōu.People want to remember him, so there are dragon boats.
  6. 大家一起用力，船跑得很快。Dàjiā yìqǐ yònglì, chuán pǎo de hěn kuài.Everyone works hard together, and the boat goes very fast.
  7. 这一天，人们还要吃粽子。Zhè yì tiān, rénmen hái yào chī zòngzi.On this day, people also eat zongzi.
  8. 你吃过粽子吗？Nǐ chī guò zòngzi ma?Have you ever eaten zongzi?

About this lesson

This lesson teaches that the Dragon Boat Festival remembers the poet Qu Yuan and is celebrated with zongzi and dragon boat races.

How to practise

  1. Read what you will learn on the first card, then follow the lesson section by section with pinyin and English.
  2. Repeat every sentence out loud in the 跟读 · Your turn pause: you learn the facts and the words together.
  3. At the end, check the recap and answer the question in the YouTube comments.

端午节 Duānwǔjié

The Dragon Boat Festival

In this lesson

  • When the Dragon Boat Festival is held
  • Who Qu Yuan was
  • What people do and eat on this day

Key takeaways

  • The festival is on the fifth day of the fifth month.
  • It remembers the famous poet Qu Yuan.
  • People race dragon boats and eat zongzi.

Your turn: Is there a festival in your culture that remembers a famous person, and how do people celebrate it?

Key words 生词

ChinesePinyinEnglishLevel
端午节duānwǔjiéDragon Boat FestivalHSK 6
屈原QūyuánQu Yuan (ancient poet)
诗人shīrénpoetHSK 4
龙舟lóngzhōudragon boatHSK 7-9
粽子zòngzizongzi (rice dumpling)HSK 7-9
知道zhīdàoto knowHSK 1

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