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腊月 (Là yuè) — the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (a period of heavy New Year preparations)

Definition

腊月 is the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (là = preserved meat, traditionally made this month for New Year). It signals the start of Spring Festival preparations.

noun
the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (a period of heavy New Year preparations)

Examples

  • 腊月。
    Là yuè Shì yì nián zhōng zuì lěng de yuè fèn zhī yī.
    Làyuè is one of the coldest months of the year.
  • 腊月。
    Là yuè Lǐ dà jiā dōu zài máng zhe zhǔn bèi guò nián.
    During Làyuè, everyone is busy preparing for the New Year.
  • 腊月？
    Nǐ tīng shuō guò Là yuè de xí sú ma?
    Have you heard about the customs of Làyuè?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

腊làtwelfth lunar month
月yuèmonth

腊 names the twelfth lunar period, and 月 marks it as a month.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
昔
昔xī腊là
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

腊 pairs 肉, meaning meat, with 昔, which gives the sound.

Open 腊 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

月 was drawn as a crescent moon, with the curved outline showing the moon’s shape.

Open 月 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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