大年初一 (dà nián chū yī)

noun (time expression) HSK 4

dà nián chū yī

the first day of the Lunar New Year · Chinese New Year's Day

Meaning

This is the most important day in the Chinese lunar calendar, marking the first day of the new year. It is the beginning of the Spring Festival celebrations, when families gather together, exchange greetings, and observe many traditional customs. The term literally means 'big year, first day.'

Usage

Used to refer specifically to the first day of the Chinese New Year. On this day, people traditionally visit family elders, exchange red envelopes (红包), set off fireworks, and eat special foods like dumplings. People greet each other with phrases like 新年快乐 or 恭喜发财. This is considered the most important day of the entire Spring Festival period.

Examples

01
大年初一我们全家人一起吃饺子。
Dà nián chū yī wǒmen quán jiā rén yīqǐ chī jiǎozi.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, our whole family eats dumplings together.
02
大年初一不能扫地，这是传统习俗。
Dà nián chū yī bù néng sǎo dì, zhè shì chuántǒng xísú.
You cannot sweep the floor on New Year's Day; this is a traditional custom.

Characters

Common collocations

大年初一拜年
dà nián chū yī bài nián
to pay New Year visits on the first day
大年初一早上
dà nián chū yī zǎo shang
on the morning of New Year's Day
过大年初一
guò dà nián chū yī
to celebrate the first day of the New Year

Origin

The phrase combines 大年 (the great year, referring to the Lunar New Year as the most important annual celebration) with 初一 (the first day). In the lunar calendar system, 初 plus a number indicates the day of the month, so 初一 means the first day of any lunar month, but when combined with 大年 it specifically means the first day of the new year.