元宵 (yuánxiāo) · Lantern Festival (15th day of the 1st lunar…

Meanings

1 Lantern Festival (15th day of the 1st lunar month)
2 sweet glutinous rice dumplings

Made with

糯米粉 nuòmǐfěn 黑芝麻 hēizhīma 花生 huāshēng 红豆 hóngdòu 白糖 báitáng

About the dish

家常菜 Home-style · 甜品 Dessert

Sweet glutinous rice balls with a filling such as black sesame, peanut or red bean, boiled and served in the hot cooking water. Rolled in dry flour rather than wrapped, so the skin is rougher than 汤圆.

Usually contains peanuts and sesame

Characters

Examples

HSK 3

元宵节晚上一家人去看花灯。

Yuánxiāojié wǎnshang yìjiārén qù kàn huādēng.

On Lantern Festival night the whole family went to see the lanterns.

HSK 7-9

正月十五吃元宵。

Zhēngyuè shíwǔ chī yuánxiāo.

On the 15th of the first lunar month we eat yuanxiao.

Tips

culture

元宵 (rolled in the north) and 汤圆 (wrapped in the south) are closely related sweet dumplings. The Lantern Festival marks the end of the 15-day Chinese New Year period.

mistakes

宵 here is xiāo (night), not 销 or 消. The 'night' meaning points to the lantern viewing that traditionally runs into the late evening.