HSK 4 · Article · 373 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-do-chinese-people-give-red-envelopes

为什么中国人过年要给红包？

Why do Chinese people give red envelopes?

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过年guònián的de时候shíhou，中国zhōngguó孩子háizi最zuì喜欢xǐhuān的de颜色yánsè是shì红色hóngsè。不是búshì因为yīnwèi红色hóngsè好看hǎokàn，是shì因为yīnwèi红色hóngsè的de小xiǎo信封xìnfēng里放fàng着zhe钱qián。这zhè就是jiùshì红包hóngbāo。

红包hóngbāo都dōu是shì给gěi谁shéi的de呢ne？一般yìbān是shì大人dàren给gěi孩子háizi。已经yǐjīng结婚jiéhūn的de人rén也yě会huì给gěi还hái没méi结婚jiéhūn的de年轻人niánqīngrén。孩子háizi长大zhǎngdà工作gōngzuò了le，也yě会huì给gěi爸爸bàba妈妈māma红包hóngbāo。

为什么wèishénme是shì红色hóngsè的de？在zài中国zhōngguó，红色hóngsè代表dàibiǎo好运hǎoyùn。有yǒu一种yìzhǒng说法shuōfǎ是shì，以前yǐqián过年guònián的de晚上wǎnshang，会huì有yǒu一个yígè小xiǎo怪物guàiwu跑pǎo出来chūlái。它tā摸mō一下yíxià睡着shuìzháo的de孩子háizi，孩子háizi就jiù会huì生病shēngbìng。大人dàren就jiù用yòng红纸hóngzhǐ包住bāozhù一些yìxiē钱qián，放fàng在zài孩子háizi的de枕头zhěntou边biān。怪物guàiwu一yí看kàn，马上mǎshàng就jiù跑pǎo了le。过年guònián时shí给gěi孩子háizi的de钱qián，现在xiànzài还hái叫jiào“压岁钱yāsuìqián”。

红包hóngbāo里的de钱qián最好zuìhǎo是shì新xīn的de，所以suóyǐ很hěn多duō人rén过年guònián前qián会huì去qù银行yínháng换huàn一些yìxiē新xīn钱qián。放fàng多少duōshao呢ne？大家dàjiā喜欢xǐhuān六liù和hé八bā，不bù喜欢xǐhuān四sì。收到shōudào红包hóngbāo，别bié马上mǎshàng打开dǎkāi，先xiān说shuō“谢谢xièxie”。

现在xiànzài，红包hóngbāo还hái“飞fēi”到dào了le手机shǒujī上shàng。2014年nián春节chūnjié，很hěn多duō人rén第一次dìyīcì在zài微信wēixìn上shàng收到shōudào了le红包hóngbāo。家里jiālǐ的de微信wēixìn群qún里，只要zhǐyào有人yǒurén发出fāchū一yí个gè红包hóngbāo，大家dàjiā就jiù马上mǎshàng来lái“抢qiǎng”。谁shéi手shǒu快kuài，谁shéi就jiù能néng抢qiǎng到dào。有人yǒurén抢qiǎng到dào五wǔ块kuài，有人yǒurén只zhǐ抢qiǎng到dào五毛wǔmáo。

不过búguò，有yǒu一yí件jiàn事shì好像hǎoxiàng一直yìzhí没méi变biàn。孩子háizi刚gāng拿到nádào红包hóngbāo，妈妈māma就jiù走zǒu过来guòlai说shuō：“妈妈māma先xiān帮bāng你nǐ存cún着zhe。”那些nàxiē钱qián后来hòulái去qù哪儿nǎr了le？很hěn多duō人rén一直yìzhí到dào现在xiànzài也yě不bù知道zhīdào。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
放	fàng	to put; to place
大人	dàren	(polite) Your Excellency; lord (form of address for officials or elders)
结婚	jiéhūn	to marry; to get married
以前	yǐqián	before; previously; formerly
用	yòng	to use; use; usefulness
最好	zuìhǎo	best
银行	yínháng	bank
换	huàn	to change; to replace
收到	shōudào	to receive; to get
先	xiān	first; in advance
一直	yìzhí	always; all along; continuously
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation

English (for the teacher)

At New Year, a Chinese child’s favourite colour is red. Not because red looks nice, but because there’s money in those little red envelopes. That’s a hongbao, a red envelope.

So who are they for? Usually adults give them to children. Married people also give them to young people who aren’t married yet. Once children grow up and start working, they give their parents red envelopes too.

Why red? In China, red stands for good luck. One story goes that in the old days, on New Year’s Eve, a little monster would come out. If it touched a sleeping child, the child would fall ill. So the grown-ups wrapped some money in red paper and put it by the child’s pillow. The monster took one look and ran. The money children get at New Year is still called yāsuìqián today.

Ideally the notes inside are brand new, so many people go to the bank before New Year to get some new ones. How much goes in? People like sixes and eights, but not fours. When you get a red envelope, don’t open it straight away: say “thank you” first.

Now red envelopes have even “flown” onto phones. Over Spring Festival 2014, lots of people got a red envelope on WeChat for the first time. In the family WeChat group, the moment someone sends one, everyone rushes to “grab” it. Whoever is quickest gets one. One person grabs five yuan, another only fifty cents.

Still, one thing never seems to change. The moment a child gets a red envelope, Mum comes over and says, “Mum’ll look after that for you.” So where did all that money go? Plenty of people still don’t know.