{"id":183074,"date":"2014-07-24T12:17:33","date_gmt":"2014-07-24T16:17:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/chinese-vocabulary-words-ghost-month\/"},"modified":"2025-02-24T09:11:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T14:11:23","slug":"chinese-vocabulary-words-ghost-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/chinese-vocabulary-words-ghost-month\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Chinese Ghost Month Vocabulary List"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The seventh month of the year is Ghost Month in Chinese culture. It&#8217;s believed that the spirits of their ancestors come back and walk the earth during this time. Here&#8217;s some important vocabulary you&#8217;ll hear all the time during Chinese Ghost Month.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What Is Chinese Ghost Month?<\/h2>\n<p>In Chinese culture, both the skies and the grounds open up and the spirits\u2014even those from long ago\u2014come back and mingle with the living, all in a span of one month.<\/p>\n<p>This happens in the seventh month of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/months-in-chinese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the lunar calendar<\/a>, and is more popularly known as <strong>\u9b3c\u6708<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><em>(gu\u012d yu\u00e8)<\/em>, or the ghost month. In terms of the western calendar, ghost month usually falls in late July or early August.<\/p>\n<p>It is during this time\u00a0that spirits are\u00a0highly believed to roam around the living, looking for and visiting their families. But for\u00a0spirits who no longer have families to go to, they search for victims on whom\u00a0they can feast.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about the Chinese culture and the traditions held during the Ghost Month, here are ten Chinese vocabulary words associated with the period.<\/p>\n<p>Each vocabulary word is followed by a sample sentence, its pinyin, the English translation and a short description about how the word relates to the ghost month. If you need some more context, you can find it on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a>, where you can hear Chinese used naturally through Chinese videos. <span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/NativeAd-Chinese.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n    <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Top 10 Chinese Ghost Month Vocabulary Words<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/ghost-festival.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12858\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/ghost-festival.jpg\" alt=\"chinese-vocabulary-words-ghost-month\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>1. \u4e2d\u5143\u8282 <em>(zh\u014dng yu\u00e1n ji\u00e9)<\/em> \u2014 Hungry Ghosts Festival<\/h3>\n<p>The Hungry Ghosts Festival occurs on the 15th day of the ghost month, wherein <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/chinese-food-vocabulary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">feasts of various offerings<\/a> are prepared for the spirits to wine and dine.<\/p>\n<p>Why the 15th? It is believed that the middle of the month is the time when the spirits are in full force, so sumptuous feasts are prepared to appease their hunger. The belief is that if their hunger is satisfied, then they would not feast on the family members and no accident would befall the family.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u6211\u4eec\u4e3a\u4e86\u5e86\u795d\u4e2d\u5143\u8282\u8be5\u51c6\u5907\u4e9b\u4ec0\u4e48\uff1f<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(w\u014f men w\u00e8i\u00a0le q\u00ecng zh\u00f9 zh\u014dng yu\u00e1n ji\u00e9 g\u0101i zh\u016dn b\u00e8i xie sh\u00e9n me?)<\/em><br \/>\nWhat should we prepare in celebration of the Hungry Ghosts Festival?<\/p>\n<h3>2. \u9b3c <em>(gu\u012d)<\/em> \u2014 Ghosts, evil spirits<\/h3>\n<p>There are two kinds of spirits that visit us during the ghost month: the good and the bad. The bad spirits are seeking revenge, and belong to those who died an untimely death due to murder, suicide, etc.<\/p>\n<p>The feasts are prepared for these spirits so they don&#8217;t do anything ill towards the families. People are advised to refrain from doing outdoor activities like swimming and hiking to avoid bumping and annoying the roaming spirits.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u9b3c\u6708\u7684\u65f6\u5019\uff0c\u4e0d\u8981\u4e71\u8dd1\uff01\u907f\u514d\u78b0\u5230\u9b3c\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(gu\u012d yu\u00e8 de sh\u00ed h\u00f2u, b\u00fa y\u00e0o lu\u00e0n p\u0103o! b\u00ec mi\u0103n p\u00e8ng d\u00e0o gu\u012d.)<\/em><br \/>\nDuring the ghost month, do not run around to avoid bumping into evil spirits.<\/p>\n<h3>3. \u795e <em>(sh\u00e9n)<\/em> \u2014 Good spirits<\/h3>\n<p>Both the gods and the ancestors who have died a moral death (not through suicide) can be considered \u795e. During the ghost month, many Chinese people believe that the dead come back to visit their families, which is why each household prepares a spread of dishes for them to enjoy.<\/p>\n<p>Others leave vacant seats around their dining table for their deceased relatives.<\/p>\n<p>Although it&#8217;s common practice to offer food for the dead at any time of the year, it&#8217;s most prominent during the ghost month because this is when the heavens are open to allow the spirits to leave freely. This enables all the spirits\u2014even those from long ago\u2014to visit their families.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u6211\u4eec\u6b7b\u53bb\u7684\u7956\u5148\u4e5f\u7b97\u662f\u795e\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(w\u014f m\u00e9n s\u012d q\u00f9 de z\u016d xi\u0101n y\u0115 su\u00e0n sh\u00ec sh\u00e9n.)<\/em><br \/>\nOur deceased ancestors are also considered good spirits.<\/p>\n<h3>4. \u949f\u9997 <em>(zh\u014dng ku\u00ed)<\/em> \u2014 Ghost hunter<\/h3>\n<p>\u949f\u9997 is also a ghost, but he was chosen to be the ghost hunter because of his intellect and potential. Centuries ago, he was a bright scholar who topped the imperial examinations. But because of his ugly appearance, the emperor stripped off his title.<\/p>\n<p>So then he became a \u9b3c himself when he committed suicide. Since then, his statue and portrait have become a staple in homes to ward off evil spirits.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u5bf9\u9b3c\u6765\u8bf4, \u949f\u9997\u662f\u6700\u53ef\u6015\u7684\u4e86\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(du\u00ec gu\u012d l\u00e1i shu\u014d, zh\u014dng ku\u00ed sh\u00ec zu\u00ec k\u0115 p\u00e0 de le.)<\/em><br \/>\nFor evil spirits, the ghost hunter is most terrifying.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/ghost-month.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12862\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/ghost-month.jpg\" alt=\"chinese-vocabulary-words-ghost-month\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>5. \u960e\u738b<em>\u00a0(y\u00e1n w\u00e1ng)<\/em> \u2014 King of the Underworld<\/h3>\n<p>In mythology, the King of the Underworld\u00a0is Hades. He was the one who decided to give \u949f\u9997 the title of hunter, and he judges the fate of all those who enter the lower realm.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u960e\u738b\u4f1a\u5224\u5b9a\u9b3c\u7684\u672a\u6765\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(y\u00e1n w\u00e1ng hu\u00ec p\u00e0n d\u00ecng gu\u012d de w\u00e8i l\u00e1i.)<\/em><br \/>\nThe King of the Underworld will decide on the fate of the spirits.<\/p>\n<h3>6. \u795e\u575b <em>(sh\u00e9n t\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 Altar<\/h3>\n<p>\u795e\u575b serves as the tables of the gods and the spirits. All offerings and feasts prepared are placed here. They are usually placed in the middle of the house or near the door during \u4e2d\u5143\u8282 to invite all spirits to dine.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u628a\u8fd9\u4e9b\u6c34\u679c\u653e\u5728\u795e\u575b\u4e0a\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(b\u0103 zh\u00e8 xie shu\u012d gu\u014f f\u00e0ng z\u00e0i sh\u00e9n t\u00e1n sh\u00e0ng.)<\/em><br \/>\nPut these fruits on top of the altar.<\/p>\n<h3>7. \u9999<em>\u00a0(xi\u0101ng)<\/em> \u2014 Incense<\/h3>\n<p>\u9999 can be considered a basic form of offering. People hold the incense while praying to the gods and talking to their ancestors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u62ff\u8fd9\u9999\u7ed9\u7956\u5148\u4eec\u62dc\u4e09\u62dc\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(n\u0103 zh\u00e8 xi\u0101ng g\u0115i z\u016d xi\u0101n men b\u00e0i s\u0101n b\u00e0i.)<\/em><br \/>\nHold this incense and bow three times to your ancestors.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/ghost-money.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12860\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/ghost-money.jpg\" alt=\"chinese-vocabulary-words-ghost-month\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>8. \u7eb8\u94b1 <em>(zh\u012d qi\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 Paper money<\/h3>\n<p>\u7eb8\u94b1 can also be referred to as \u91d1\u94b1 (joss paper). This is burned as an offering to the spirits for them to use in their world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u8fd9\u4e9b\u5e74\u6765, \u7eb8\u94b1\u7684\u4ef7\u683c\u4e5f\u5347\u9ad8\u4e86\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(zh\u00e8 xie ni\u00e1n l\u00e1i, zh\u012d qi\u00e1n de ji\u00e0 g\u00e9 y\u0115 sh\u0113ng g\u0101o\u00a0le.)<\/em><br \/>\nFor the past few years, the price of paper money has increased.<\/p>\n<h3>9. \u4f9b\u54c1 <em>(g\u00f2ng p\u01d0n)<\/em> \u2014 Offerings<\/h3>\n<p>Rice grains, coins, pork, chicken, vegetables, fruits, wine, cigarettes\u2014all these are prepared as offerings to the spirits. But for the gods, only \u7d20\u98df <em>(s\u00f9 sh\u00ed)<\/em> or vegetarian dishes are given as offerings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u8bf7\u51c6\u5907\u4e00\u4e0b\u7ed9\u7956\u5148\u7684\u4f9b\u54c1\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(q\u012dng zh\u016dn b\u00e8i yi xi\u00e0 g\u0115i z\u016d xi\u0101n de g\u00f2ng p\u01d0n.)<\/em><br \/>\nPlease prepare the offerings for the ancestors.<\/p>\n<h3>10. \u4e03\u5915\u8282 <em>(q\u012b x\u012b ji\u00e9)<\/em> \u2014 Chinese Valentine\u2019s Day<\/h3>\n<p>Before you think that everything is evil and negative during \u9b3c\u6708, let me\u00a0introduce you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/chinese-words-phrases-valentines-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese Valentine\u2019s Day<\/a>. Chinese people celebrate Valentine&#8217;s Day in February, too. But for single people (especially women), the seventh day of the ghost month is very special.<\/p>\n<p>Done in commemoration of the forbidden love between the daughter of a goddess and a mortal, worshippers believe that when you bring offerings and pray to the gods in the temple, your wish for a happy and blessed love life will come true.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><strong>\u4e03\u5915\u8282\u65f6, \u6240\u6709\u5355\u8eab\u5973\u5b69\u4f1a\u53bb\u62dc\u4ed9\u3002<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(q\u012b x\u012b ji\u00e9 sh\u00ed, su\u014f y\u014fu d\u0101n sh\u0113n n\u016d h\u00e1i hu\u00ec q\u00f9 b\u00e0i xi\u0101n.)<\/em><br \/>\nDuring the Chinese Valentine\u2019s Day, all single ladies will go and worship the gods.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And there you have it! You&#8217;re all set for Chinese Ghost Month. Whether you&#8217;re celebrating it yourself or want to talk about it with your Chinese friends, these words will come in handy.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\"><h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">then you'll love FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos\u2014like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_12840\" style=\"width: 330px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12840\" class=\" wp-image-12840 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-5.png\" alt=\"learn-mandarin-chinese-with-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-12840\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU App Browse Screen<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>FluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_12843\" style=\"width: 330px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12843\" class=\"wp-image-12843 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-6.png\" alt=\"learn-mandarin-chinese-with-subtitled-song-and-music-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-12843\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Interactive Transcripts on FluentU<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU's <strong>Learn Mode<\/strong> turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_12844\" style=\"width: 330px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12844\" class=\"wp-image-12844 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Chinese-7.png\" alt=\"practice-mandarin-chinese-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-12844\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU Has Quizzes for Every Video<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part is that FluentU always keeps track of your vocabulary. It customizes quizzes to focus on areas that need attention and reminds you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned. <strong> You have a 100% personalized experience. <\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The seventh month of the year is Ghost Month in Chinese culture. It&#8217;s believed that the spirits of their ancestors come back and walk the earth during this time. Here&#8217;s&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":797,"featured_media":252016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"The Ultimate Chinese Ghost Month Vocabulary List | FluentU Chinese Blog","description":"The seventh month of the year is Ghost Month in Chinese culture. It's believed that the spirits of their ancestors come back and walk the earth during this time. Read this to learn more about what it is and 10 Chinese ghost month vocabulary words, like \u949f\u9997 (\"ghost hunter\") and \u4e2d\u5143\u8282 (\"Hungry Ghosts Festival\")."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[724,725],"tags":[],"coauthors":[833],"class_list":["post-183074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chinese","category-chinese-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/797"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183074"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183074\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":242995,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183074\/revisions\/242995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183074"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=183074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}