国庆

• Pinyin: guó qìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 国 = 囗 (enclosure) + 玉 (jade) — country; 庆 = 广 (broad) + 大 (big) — to celebrate

Meaning

National Day. The anniversary celebrating the founding of a nation.

In China, 国庆 refers to 国庆节 (National Day) on October 1st, marking the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The holiday period, known as 国庆假期 or 黄金周 (Golden Week), typically lasts seven days and is one of the longest holidays in China.

Examples

1. 国庆节是十月一号。 National Day is October 1st.
2. 国庆假期你打算去哪里？ Where are you planning to go for the National Day holiday?
3. 每年国庆，北京都会举行盛大的庆祝活动。 Every year on National Day, Beijing holds grand celebrations.

Usage Guide

Context: holiday, celebration, everyday

Tone: festive

Do Say

• 国庆快乐！(Happy National Day!)
• 国庆假期的火车票很难买。(Train tickets during the National Day holiday are hard to get.)

Don't Say

• 美国的国庆是十月一号。(Don't assume all countries share the same National Day — the US celebrates on July 4th. Say 美国的国庆是七月四号.)

Origin & History

Compound of 国 (country/nation) and 庆 (celebrate/celebration). Together they mean 'national celebration' — National Day.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal