辞旧迎新
辞旧迎新 (cí jiù yíng xīn) literally means “bid farewell to the old, welcome the new” and expresses “to see out the old year and welcome the new one”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: ci jiu ying xin, ci jiu ying xin,辞旧迎新 meaning, 辞旧迎新 in english
To see out the old year and welcome the new one
Pronunciation: cí jiù yíng xīn Literal meaning: Bid farewell to the old, welcome the new
Origin & Usage
The phrase for the turning of the year itself, especially New Year's Eve (除夕). 辞 means to take leave of, 旧 is the old, 迎 is to welcome, and 新 is the new. It is not an ancient idiom with a story behind it, but it has a verified Qing-dynasty use in a poem by the Kangxi Emperor titled 除夕晚宴 ('New Year's Eve Banquet'), preserved in his collected writings. It opens 辞旧迎新岁事终, 'we take leave of the old and welcome the new; the year's affairs are done,' and describes a family dinner with the emperor's children and grandchildren. Today it describes the customs of the night: the reunion dinner, staying up late (守岁), and firecrackers at midnight. It is used more to describe the season than as a direct wish to someone.
Examples
English: "On New Year's Eve the family stayed up past midnight to see off the old year and welcome in the new one."
Chinese: 除夕夜，全家人一起守岁，辞旧迎新。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
不辞辛劳
bù cí xīn láo
Tireless dedication
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迎刃而解
yíng rèn ér jiě
Easily solved once properly approached
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迎难而上
yíng nán ér shàng
Persevere through challenges
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万象更新
wàn xiàng gēng xīn
Everything starts fresh with the new year
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日新月异
rì xīn yuè yì
Changing rapidly; improving daily
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改过自新
gǎi guò zì xīn
Turn over a new leaf after wrongdoing
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温故知新
wēn gù zhī xīn
Learn new through studying old
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推陈出新
tuī chén chū xīn
Create new from old
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 辞旧迎新 mean in English?
辞旧迎新 (cí jiù yíng xīn) literally translates to “Bid farewell to the old, welcome the new” and is used to express “To see out the old year and welcome the new one”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 辞旧迎新 used?
Situation: On New Year's Eve the family stayed up past midnight to see off the old year and welcome in the new one.
What is the pinyin for 辞旧迎新?
The pinyin pronunciation for 辞旧迎新 is “cí jiù yíng xīn”.