Halloween is a time for spooky fun, costumes, and, of course, candy! As the trick-or-treaters prepare their costumes and the excitement builds, have you ever wondered how to share those Halloween wishes in Chinese? Well, the answer is simple: “万圣节快乐” (Wànshèngjié kuàilè). But there’s so much more you can say! Keep reading for a spooky collection of Chinese Halloween wishes and some fun cultural insights to enrich your holiday celebrations.

Core Expression Teaching

Let’s start with the most common phrase to wish someone a happy Halloween in Chinese:

Breakdown:

• 万圣节 (Wànshèngjié) = Halloween
• 快乐 (kuàilè) = Happy

The pronunciation tips:

• Wànshèngjié: The “wàn” has a rising tone (like asking a question in English), and “shèng” has a falling tone. “Jié” is pronounced like “jyeh.”
• Kuàilè: “Kuài” sounds like “kwai,” and “lè” is a sharp, short “luh.”

5 Extended Halloween Wishes

1. Wishes for Trick-or-Treating

2. Wishes for Perfect Costumes

3. Spooky Themed Wishes

4. Wishes for Trick-or-Treaters

5. Wishing for a Scary Night

Halloween Vocabulary in Chinese

Cultural Comparison: Halloween vs. 中元节 (Hungry Ghost Festival)

Both Halloween and the Chinese 中元节 (Zhōngyuán Jié), or the Hungry Ghost Festival, are holidays about ghosts, but they are celebrated in very different ways!

Halloween: A Day for Fun and Costumes!

Western Halloween is on October 31st. Long ago, people believed that ghosts came out on this day. Today, it is mostly a fun and exciting holiday for everyone!

• The Feeling: Happy, playful, and a little bit spooky!
• Main Activities: Kids wear costumes (like superheroes or witches), carve Jack-o’-Lanterns from pumpkins, and go Trick-or-Treating to get candy!
• The Goal: It’s a day for playing games and having a big party with friends and family.

中元节 (Zhōngyuán Jié): A Time for Respect and Family

The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, or Zhongyuan Festival, is usually in August or September (on the 15th day of the 7th Lunar Month). It is a special time that lasts for a whole month!

• The Belief: People believe that the gates to the underworld open up. Spirits, including their ancestors (family members who have passed away), come back to Earth to visit.
• The Feeling: Serious, respectful, and thoughtful. It is not a day for parties.
• Main Activities:
  • Giving Gifts: Families offer food and burn paper money (纸钱 – zhǐqián) and paper models of things like clothes and cars. This is a gift to their ancestors for them to use in the spirit world.
  • Lighting the Way: People might set small paper lanterns on the water to help guide any lonely spirits back to the underworld.
• The Goal: To show respect and love to the family members who have passed away. It is an important part of Chinese tradition about caring for family, even after they are gone.

Chinese Learning Tips for Families

1. Chinese Parent-Child Game Ideas

Turn Halloween into a playful learning experience! Parents and children can use Chinese Halloween words like “鬼怪” (guǐ guài, monsters), “女巫” (nǚ wū, witch), or “南瓜灯” (nán guā dēng, jack-o’-lantern) to create themed games. For example:

• Chinese Halloween Scavenger Hunt: Hide cards with Chinese words around the house, and let kids find and match them to pictures or objects.
• Guess the Word: Say the English word, and let your child guess the Chinese equivalent—or vice versa.
• Role-Play Challenge: Dress up as different Halloween characters and introduce yourselves in Chinese, practicing short sentences like “我是女巫！” (“I am a witch!”).

2. Creating a Chinese Learning Environment

Transform your home into a fun Chinese-learning space filled with Halloween spirit. Decorate with banners showing words such as “万圣节快乐” (Happy Halloween), “不给糖就捣蛋” (trick or treat), or “恐怖的夜晚” (spooky night). Label decorations in both Chinese and Pinyin to help children connect pronunciation and meaning naturally.

Play Chinese Halloween songs, tell simple ghost stories in Chinese, or watch short videos that use holiday vocabulary. These immersive touches help kids absorb the language subconsciously while enjoying family traditions.

3. Use Educational Resources for Practice

To make learning even more effective, families can explore resources like WuKong Chinese Learning Worksheets，helping children not only learn new holiday words but also improve their handwriting and understanding of Chinese character structure. Pairing these hands-on activities with seasonal fun keeps children motivated and confident in their Chinese learning journey.

Conclusion

In this spooky season, adding a few Chinese Halloween phrases to your repertoire will surely delight your friends and family. Don’t forget to share these fun wishes and continue learning Chinese through cultural events! Halloween is a perfect time to practice your Chinese in a playful, meaningful way.

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Jasmine | WuKong Chinese Teacher

With over a decade of dedication to the education sector, I specialize in educational innovation and practice, deeply researching the construction of the basic education ecosystem and the cultivation of students’ core competencies. Holding a Doctorate in Education from Beijing Normal University, I integrate theoretical research with frontline teaching, excelling in stimulating students’ internal learning motivation through interdisciplinary teaching methods. Guided by the mission of “enabling every child to embrace suitable education”, I promote educational equity and personalized development, helping students unlock infinite possibilities in their growth. I am committed to injecting vitality into the high – quality development of education with professional expertise.