It’s the Chinese Valentine’s Day today, which refers to the seventh of the seventh lunar month. We call it “七夕(qīxī)”, which is Double Seventh Festival. It celebrates the annual meeting of 牛郎(niúláng) and his wife 织女(zhīnǚ) in a Chinese fairy tale. 

The story is about 织女(zhīnǚ), a weaver girl and daughter of a powerful goddess, and 牛郎(niúláng), a humble cowherd. For the two, it was love at first sight. Eventually, they got married and 织女(zhīnǚ) gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl. However, when 织女(zhīnǚ)'s mother discovered that her daughter married a mere mortal, she brought her back to heaven and casted a massive river between earth and heaven to separate the couple – which is now referred to as the Milky Way. Touched by the love between 织女(zhīnǚ) and 牛郎(niúláng), the magpies on land flew up to heaven and helped the couple by forming a bridge across the river, allowing the two to reunite. Their love moved 织女(zhīnǚ)'s mother, who eventually permitted the couple to meet once a year on that very same day, which is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

So let’s learn some Chinese expressions about love this week.

七夕节(qīxījié) Double Seventh Festival, Chinese Valentine’s Day

Jīntiān shì qīxī, wǎnshang wǒ yào gēn nánpéngyou qù kàn diànyǐng.

今天是七夕，晚上我要跟男朋友去看电影。

It’s Chinese Valentine’s Day today. I’ll go to watch a movie with my boyfriend tonight.

Wǒ ài nǐ

我爱你。 I love you.

爱(ài)to love

ài shang

爱上 someone  fall in love with someone 

Wǒ ài shang tā le.

我爱上他了。

I fell in love with him.

yí jiàn zhōng qíng

一见钟情 love at first sight

Wǒmen yíjiànzhōngqíng.

我们一见钟情。

We fell in love at the first sight.

Àiqíng shì mángmù de. 

爱情是盲目的。 Love is blind.

Nǐ juéde àiqíng shì mángmù de ma?

你觉得爱情是盲目的吗？ Do you think love is blind?

Alright, that’s all for today. Although this is a Chinese festival, I think it is also a chance for you to express your love. Tell the person you love in Chinese 我爱你(wǒ ài nǐ). Isn't it very romantic?

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