寒假

• Pinyin: hán jià
• Hanzi breakdown: 寒 = 宀 (roof) + components representing cold — extreme cold; 假 = 亻(person) + 叚 (phonetic) — time away from duties

Meaning

Winter vacation; winter break. The period of holiday from school during winter months.

Refers specifically to the school break during winter, typically lasting about one month in China around late January to late February, which coincides with Chinese New Year. Contrasts with 暑假 (summer vacation). Students often receive 寒假作业 (winter vacation homework). A very common word in student life.

Examples

1. 寒假的时候我打算回老家过年。 During winter vacation I plan to go back to my hometown for the New Year.
2. 孩子们盼望寒假已经很久了。 The children have been looking forward to winter break for a long time.
3. 老师给我们布置了很多寒假作业。 The teacher assigned us a lot of winter vacation homework.

Usage Guide

Context: school, holidays, family

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你寒假打算去哪儿？(Where do you plan to go during winter break?)
• 寒假快要到了，你有什么计划？(Winter break is coming soon; do you have any plans?)

Don't Say

• 公司的寒假开始了 (Don't use 寒假 for workplace holiday — use 假期 or 年假; 寒假 is specifically for school breaks)

Origin & History

寒 (hán, cold) + 假 (jià, vacation) — literally 'cold-season vacation,' the school break during the cold winter months.

Cultural Context

Generation: Students and educators

Social background: Universal