Learn Chinese: Happy Teacher's Day! • China Admissions

Is there a teacher you respect in your life? Don’t forget to wish them a Happy Teacher’s Day on September 10 with some Chinese Teacher’s Day holiday wishes!

Teacher’s Day is an important holiday in China. Students across the country celebrate by gifting their teachers bouquets of flowers, cards, paintings, or perform a song or dance. Wishing your teachers good luck, health, and prosperity on this day reflects your appreciation for the hard work of education they undertake all year long.

Education is widely respected as one of the most important pursuits in China, so teachers get a special appreciation from society. Though the September 10th Teacher’s Day only became an official holiday in 1985, September has been an important month for educators for thousands of years. Confucius’ birthday was celebrated on the 25th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar: Today, the birthday of this great teacher is widely recognized on September 28. Historically, during this time teachers received gifts from students and even raises and promotions.

These are a few important Chinese phrases to know if you want to celebrate a special Chinese teacher on September 10.

Teacher’s Day: 教师节 Jiàoshījié

Happy Teacher’s Day: 教师节快乐！Jiàoshījié kuàilè！

You work so hard: 辛苦了！xīnkǔ le!

辛苦 xīnkǔ is a unique phrase in Mandarin Chinese that does not translate exactly. 辛苦 xīnkǔ literally means “hardship” or “exhausting,” but it’s commonly used to positively acknowledge the hard work someone has done. It’s a way to show recognition and appreciation for the efforts of another person.

Try this sentence: 老师，您辛苦了！Lǎoshī, nín xīnkǔ le! Teacher, you work so hard!

Wishing you daily happiness: 祝您天天开心！Zhù nín tiāntiān kāixīn！

Wishing you good health: 祝您身体健康 Zhù nín shēntǐ jiànkāng！

Thank you, teacher! 老师，感谢您！Lǎoshī，gǎnxiè nín!

Happy Teacher’s Day from China Admissions!

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Savannah Billman

Savannah Billman has a master's degree in Chinese Law and Society at the Yenching Academy of Peking University. She holds a B.A. from NYU Shanghai and has also written for The World of Chinese, TechNode, SupChina, and Sixth Tone.

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