nónglì: 农历 - Lunar Calendar, Traditional Chinese Calendar

Keywords: nongli, 农历, Chinese lunar calendar, traditional Chinese calendar, what is the Chinese calendar, Chinese New Year calendar, festival calendar China, yinli, lunisolar calendar.

Summary: The 农历 (nónglì) is the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, often referred to simply as the “lunar calendar.” It is the backbone of Chinese culture, determining the dates for major holidays like Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival. While China uses the Gregorian calendar for official purposes, the 农历 remains essential for celebrating festivals, observing traditions, and connecting with agricultural roots, influencing everything from birthdays to auspicious dates for important life events.

Pinyin (with tone marks): nónglì

Part of Speech: Noun

HSK Level: HSK 5

Concise Definition: The traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar used for cultural festivals and traditional timekeeping.

In a Nutshell: Imagine having two calendars on your wall. One is the standard calendar for work and school (the Gregorian calendar, or 阳历 yánglì). The other is the 农历, the calendar of tradition. It tells you when to celebrate festivals, when the seasons are truly changing according to ancient wisdom, and for many, which days are lucky. It's called the “lunar calendar” because its months follow the cycles of the moon, but it cleverly adds extra months every few years to stay in sync with the sun and the seasons. It's the heartbeat of traditional Chinese culture.

农 (nóng): This character means “farming” or “agriculture.” Its ancient form depicts a field with a tool, symbolizing the act of cultivation. It points to the calendar's origin as a guide for farmers.

历 (lì): This character means “calendar” or “history.” It suggests a record of events or cycles over time.

Combined Meaning: When you put them together, 农历 (nónglì) literally translates to “Farming Calendar.” This name perfectly captures its historical purpose: to help farmers track the seasons and guide them on the best times for planting, sowing, and harvesting, ensuring the prosperity of an agrarian society.

The 农历 is the foundational framework for nearly all traditional Chinese holidays. Without it, the dates for Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival would be lost. These events are not just holidays but are deeply tied to family reunions, ancestor worship, and specific foods and rituals that are timed according to the 农历.

Comparison to the Western Calendar: The standard Gregorian calendar is a purely solar calendar; it tracks the Earth's 365.25-day journey around the sun. Its primary goal is to keep the seasons consistent (e.g., June is always summer in the Northern Hemisphere). The 农历, however, is a lunisolar calendar. It tracks the moon's phases to define its months (the first of the month is the new moon, the 15th is the full moon), but it also tracks the sun to define its years. To prevent the calendar from drifting out of sync with the seasons (a problem with purely lunar calendars), it adds an extra “leap month” (闰月 rùnyuè) every two or three years. This makes it a brilliant and complex system that harmonizes both celestial bodies.

Related Values: The 农历 reflects the core Chinese philosophical value of harmony between humanity and nature (天人合一 tiān rén hé yī). Its structure is based on observing and aligning human activities—from farming to festivals—with the natural cycles of the sun, moon, and seasons. This cyclical view of time is a cornerstone of Chinese culture.

The Calendar of Festivals: This is its most prominent use. Every Chinese person knows that festivals are based on the 农历. For example, the Mid-Autumn Festival is always on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (八月十五).

Celebrating Birthdays: While younger generations mostly use their Gregorian calendar birthday, many older Chinese people, and some in rural areas, still celebrate their 农历 birthday. This can be confusing for foreigners, as the corresponding Gregorian date changes every year.

Auspicious Dates (选日子): The 农历 is indispensable for traditional practices like choosing a lucky day (吉日 jírì) for a wedding, opening a business, moving into a new home, or even for a burial. Almanacs based on the 农历 provide detailed guidance on which days are good or bad for certain activities.

The 24 Solar Terms (二十四节气): Embedded within the 农历 are 24 “solar terms” that mark specific points in the solar year, such as “Start of Spring” (立春 Lìchūn) and “Winter Solstice” (冬至 Dōngzhì). These are still widely referenced in conversation and media to describe the subtle changes in the seasons, influencing diet and traditional Chinese medicine practices.

“Lunar” is an Oversimplification: The most common mistake for learners is to think of 农历 as a purely “lunar calendar.” A true lunar calendar, like the Islamic calendar, has months that follow the moon but its year is shorter than a solar year, causing its holidays to drift through all four seasons. The 农历 is lunisolar (阴阳历 yīnyánglì). It uses the moon for its months but adds a leap month (闰月 rùnyuè) periodically to ensure the calendar year stays aligned with the solar year and the seasons. This is why Chinese New Year is always in winter.

农历 vs. 阴历: While 阴历 (yīnlì, “yin/moon calendar”) is sometimes used as a synonym for 农历, 农历 is the more common and precise term in modern Mandarin. 农历 emphasizes its cultural and agricultural function, whereas 阴历 just highlights its lunar aspect.

阳历 (yánglì) - The solar calendar (Gregorian calendar). The direct counterpart to 农历.

阴历 (yīnlì) - A synonym for 农历, though less common. It literally means “moon calendar.”

春节 (chūnjié) - The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year. Its date is the most famous event determined by the 农历.

中秋节 (zhōngqiūjié) - The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.

节气 (jiéqì) - The 24 Solar Terms. These are markers within the 农历 that align with the seasons and were critical for agriculture.

生肖 (shēngxiào) - The Chinese Zodiac. The zodiac animal is determined by the 农历 year of one's birth.

除夕 (chúxī) - Chinese New Year's Eve, the very last day of the 农历 year.

元宵节 (yuánxiāojié) - The Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the first full moon of the new year.

闰月 (rùnyuè) - The intercalary or “leap” month that is added to the 农历 every 2-3 years to keep it synchronized with the solar seasons.