In this episode, we’ve talked about some traditions of the Lantern Festival in Taiwan.
(These show notes use tables and rich formatting. Please visit the episode webpage for an optimal viewing experience.)
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| kū-li̍k | the traditional calendar |
| tsiann-gue̍h-tsa̍p-gōo | the 15th day of the 1st month |
| Siōng-guân / Guân-siau / Siōng-guân-mê | the Lantern Festival |
| siau-iā | late night snack |
| pàng phàu-á | to light up firecrackers |
| Tsin tsē gín-á siōng-guân-mê ē gia̍h kóo-á-ting. | Many little kids will carry lanterns around on the night of the Lantern Festival. |
| kóo-á-ting | traditional lanterns that are in the shape of “drums” |
| hue-ting | ornate lanterns that can be in all different shapes and sizes |
| ioh ting-tshai | to try to solve a lantern riddle |
| “Sì kha, sì kak, ū bīn, bô thâu-khak.” -- “Toh-á.” | “4 legs, 4 corners, a face, but no head” -- “A table.”
Culture note: This is an example of a Taiwanese lantern riddle. The word “kak” also means “horn”. |
| înn-á | a round dumpling made with glutinous rice flour that is often eaten during the Winter Solstice (“Tang-tseh”) or the Lantern Festival
|
| thuân-înn | reunion with family and friends |
| muâ-á | sesame |
| thôo-tāu | peanut |
| ōo-á | taro |
| Pîng-khe thian-ting | Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
More information: https://tour.ntpc.gov.tw/en-us/ContentPage/Festival?wnd_id=78 |
| thian-ting | sky lantern |
| pàng thian-ting | to release sky lanterns into the sky |
| Kā lí ê guān-bōng siá tī thian-ting tíng-kuân. | Write your wishes for the upcoming year on the sky lantern. |
| Guân-siau-tseh ū tsa̍p-guā-bān lâng ē lâi Pîng-khe pàng thian-ting. | On the Lantern festival, more than 100,000 people will descend on Pingxi to release sky lanterns. |
| Tsa̍p-hūn-liâu | Shifen, a mining town next to Pingxi where the sky lanterns are famously released on the Lantern Festival |
| Kiâm-tsuí phang-á-phàu | Beehive Fireworks Festival
More information: |
| phang | bees |
| phàu | firecrackers |
| tì an-tsuân-bō | to wear a helmet |
| kuà tshiú-lông | to wear gloves |
| tshīng kāu ê guā-thò | to wear a thick, heavy coat |
| Kuan-tè-iâ | Taoist God of War |
| Tâi-tang | Taitung, a city on the east coast of Taiwan |
| Tâi-tang tsà Hân-Tan | Bombing Master Handan Festival
More information: https://www.discovertaitung.com/en/hotspot/bombing-lord-handan-yuanxiao-festival/ |
*Syllables that have been greyed out require a tone change
ONE BITE CHALLENGE: A LANTERN RIDDLE
For this episode about the Lantern Festival, our One Bite Challenge is for you to “ioh ting-tshai”, solve a lantern riddle.
Here’s our Challenge:
Tn̂g ná king, înn ná táu, beh lâi tshe sann sì, beh khì jia̍p peh káu.
長 若 弓，圓 若 斗，欲 來 初 三 四，欲 去 廿 八 九。
This lantern riddle can be translated as:
“Long like a bow, round like a bucket, she comes around the 3rd or 4th, and she leaves on the 28th or 29th.” (Hint: The category is a natural phenomenon.)
Let’s break down this “ting-tshai”:
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| tn̂g | long |
| ná | to seem like, like |
| king | bow |
| înn | round, circle |
| táu | a round-shaped container for storing things like rice, or a cup-shaped container used to measure |
| beh lâi | to want to come, to be coming |
| tshe sann sì | the 3rd or the 4th day of the month (of the lunar calendar) |
| beh khì | to want to go, to be going |
| jia̍p peh káu | the 28th or 29th day of the month (of the lunar calendar)
Usage note: “jia̍p” means the number 20, contracted from “jī-tsa̍p”. “Jī-tsa̍p” is used more often in general contexts, and the contracted form here is used for the rhythmic structure. |
The answer is:
Gue̍h-niû
The moon
Did you get the right answer? For more about the Lantern Festival, be sure to check out our workbook. It also gives you some additional vocabulary, culture and grammar explanations, and great exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned in this episode.
Music Credit: TeknoAXE