jìjié: 季节 - Season, Time of Year

• Keywords: 季节, jijie, Chinese seasons, four seasons in Chinese, season in Chinese, what does jijie mean, spring summer autumn winter Chinese, Chinese climate, Chinese festivals by season, weather in China.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 季节 (jìjié), meaning “season.” This guide goes beyond a simple translation, exploring how the four seasons in Chinese are deeply connected to culture, festivals, traditional medicine, and daily life. Understand how to use 季节 (jìjié) in conversation about weather, travel, and food, and discover its significance in Chinese poetry and philosophy.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jìjié
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: A season of the year.
• In a Nutshell: 季节 (jìjié) is the direct equivalent of the English word “season.” It refers to the four main divisions of the year: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. While it's used for everyday topics like weather and clothing, it also carries a deeper weight in Chinese culture, reflecting the cycles of nature, farming, and traditional life.

• 季 (jì): This character is related to grain (禾) and sequence. It originally denoted a period of three months, perfectly aligning with the length of a season. Think of it as a distinct chapter in the agricultural year.
• 节 (jié): The top part of this character is the radical for bamboo (竹). It originally depicted the joints or segments of a bamboo stalk. This gives it the meaning of a “segment,” “division,” “joint,” or a specific point in time, which is also why it's used in the word for “festival” (节日, jiérì).
• Together, 季节 (jìjié) literally means a “seasonal segment” or a “division of time,” beautifully capturing the idea of the year being divided into four distinct periods.

In Chinese culture, 季节 (jìjié) is a concept that extends far beyond meteorology. It's a foundational pillar of philosophy, health, and tradition.

• Agriculture and the Solar Terms: Historically, China was an agrarian society, and survival depended on understanding the seasons. This led to the creation of the 24 Solar Terms (二十四节气, èrshísì jiéqì), a calendar that precisely marks seasonal changes to guide farming. This system, which includes points like “Start of Spring” (立春) and “Winter Solstice” (冬至), reflects a much more granular and practical attention to seasonal change than is common in the West.
• Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): TCM is built around the idea of harmony between the body and the environment. Each 季节 (jìjié) is associated with a different element, organ, and type of energy (qi). For example, it's advised to eat cooling foods like watermelon in the summer to counter heat, and warming foods like ginger and lamb in the winter to preserve internal warmth.
• Festivals and Celebrations: Major Chinese holidays are inextricably linked to the seasons. The Spring Festival (春节, Chūnjié) celebrates the rebirth of the new year, while the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节, Zhōngqiūjié) marks the harvest moon. These aren't just dates on a calendar; they are celebrations of a specific point in the annual natural cycle.
• Comparison with Western Culture: While Western culture certainly celebrates seasons (e.g., “the magic of Christmas,” “summer vacation”), the connection is often more social and commercial. In contrast, the traditional Chinese concept of 季节 (jìjié) is more holistic, weaving together the practical (farming), the physical (health), and the spiritual (harmony with nature) into a unified worldview.

In modern China, 季节 (jìjié) is used in many of the same ways as “season” in English, but with a few specific contexts.

• Everyday Conversation: This is the most common use. People frequently discuss the weather, what to wear, and their favorite season.
• Commerce and Fashion: You'll often see signs for “seasonal sales” (换季打折, huànjì dǎzhé) as stores clear out last season's inventory.
• Travel and Tourism: The terms 旺季 (wàngjì - peak season) and 淡季 (dànjì - off-season) are crucial for planning travel in China, as prices and crowds vary dramatically depending on the 季节.
• Food and Cuisine: The concept of eating with the seasons (不时，不食 - bù shí, bù shí - “if it's not the right time, don't eat it”) is still very influential. People will talk about “seasonal vegetables” (时令蔬菜, shílìng shūcài) or look forward to fruits that are only available in a certain 季节.

• Example 1:
  • 你最喜欢哪个季节？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎge jìjié?
  • English: Which season do you like the most?
  • Analysis: A classic, simple question for making small talk. “哪个 (nǎge)” means “which,” used here because you are choosing from a set number of options (the four seasons).
• Example 2:
  • 北京的秋天是一年中最舒服的季节。
  • Pinyin: Běijīng de qiūtiān shì yī nián zhōng zuì shūfu de jìjié.
  • English: Autumn in Beijing is the most comfortable season of the year.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 的 (de) to create a descriptive phrase: “the most comfortable season” (最舒服的季节).
• Example 3:
  • 这个季节水果很便宜。
  • Pinyin: Zhège jìjié shuǐguǒ hěn piányi.
  • English: Fruit is very cheap this season.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how 季节 is used to talk about the availability and price of food.
• Example 4:
  • 我们要根据季节的变化来增减衣服。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yào gēnjù jìjié de biànhuà lái zēngjiǎn yīfu.
  • English: We need to add or remove clothing according to the change of seasons.
  • Analysis: A practical sentence showing the link between season and daily actions. 根据 (gēnjù) means “according to.”
• Example 5:
  • 很多游客选择在旅游淡季出行，因为那个季节人比较少。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō yóukè xuǎnzé zài lǚyóu dànjì chūxíng, yīnwèi nàge jìjié rén bǐjiào shǎo.
  • English: Many tourists choose to travel during the off-season, because there are fewer people during that time of year.
  • Analysis: Here, 季节 is used more broadly as “time of year” in the context of tourism. It's used to explain why it's the off-season (淡季, dànjì).
• Example 6:
  • 由于季节原因，今天的航班取消了。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú jìjié yuányīn, jīntiān de hángbān qǔxiāo le.
  • English: Due to seasonal reasons, today's flight has been cancelled.
  • Analysis: A more formal use. “季节原因” (seasonal reasons) is a common phrase to explain weather-related disruptions, like typhoons in the summer or snowstorms in the winter.
• Example 7:
  • 这家餐厅的菜单会随着季节而变化。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de càidān huì suízhe jìjié ér biànhuà.
  • English: This restaurant's menu changes with the seasons.
  • Analysis: Highlights the modern culinary trend of “seasonal eating.” The structure “随着…而…” (suízhe…ér…) means “to…in accordance with…”.
• Example 8:
  • 又是过敏的季节了，我的鼻子好难受。
  • Pinyin: Yòu shì guòmǐn de jìjié le, wǒ de bízi hǎo nánshòu.
  • English: It's allergy season again, my nose feels terrible.
  • Analysis: Shows that 季节 can be combined with other nouns to create concepts like “allergy season.”
• Example 9:
  • 南半球的季节和我们正好相反。
  • Pinyin: Nánbànqiú de jìjié hé wǒmen zhènghǎo xiāngfǎn.
  • English: The seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are the exact opposite of ours.
  • Analysis: A good example for talking about geography and climate. 正好相反 (zhènghǎo xiāngfǎn) means “exactly opposite.”
• Example 10:
  • 商店开始换季了，很多夏季的衣服都在打折。
  • Pinyin: Shāngdiàn kāishǐ huànjì le, hěn duō xiàjì de yīfu dōu zài dǎzhé.
  • English: The stores are starting to change seasons; a lot of summer clothes are on sale.
  • Analysis: This example doesn't use the word 季节 directly but uses the related verb-object phrase 换季 (huànjì), which literally means “to change season.” It's an extremely common term in retail.

• `季节 (jìjié)` vs. `时候 (shíhou)`: This is a very common point of confusion for beginners.
  • 季节 (jìjié): Refers specifically to the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) or a period defined by its seasonal characteristics (e.g., rainy season).
  • 时候 (shíhou): Means a general “time,” “moment,” or “period.” It's much broader.
  • Incorrect: `你最喜欢什么时候？` (Nǐ zuì xǐhuān shénme shíhou?) - This means “What time do you like best?” and would likely be answered with “morning,” “when I'm with friends,” etc.
  • Correct: `你最喜欢哪个季节？` (Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎge jìjié?) - This specifically asks “Which season do you like best?”
• Using “Season” for TV Shows: In English, we say “season 1 of a TV show.” In Chinese, you do not use 季节. The correct word is 季 (jì).
  • Incorrect: `这是第一季节。`
  • Correct: `这是第一季。` (Zhè shì dì yī jì.) - This is the first season.

• 春天 (chūntiān) - Spring. The first season of the year.
• 夏天 (xiàtiān) - Summer.
• 秋天 (qiūtiān) - Autumn, Fall.
• 冬天 (dōngtiān) - Winter.
• 四季 (sìjì) - A more literary or collective term for “the four seasons.”
• 气候 (qìhòu) - Climate. Refers to the long-term weather patterns of a place, a much broader concept than 季节.
• 节气 (jiéqì) - Solar Term. One of the 24 specific points in the traditional Chinese calendar that mark a particular astronomical or natural event.
• 换季 (huànjì) - To change seasons. Commonly used in the context of shopping (“seasonal sale”) or changing one's wardrobe.
• 旺季 (wàngjì) - Peak season. The busiest and most expensive time for tourism.
• 淡季 (dànjì) - Off-season. The opposite of 旺季, a quieter and cheaper time to travel.