节

jié

HSK 3

节 — jié

1. joint; node (anatomical or botanical)

   竹子上有很多节。 zhúzi shàngyǒu hěnduō jié — There are many nodes on a bamboo stalk.

2. section; segment; (bound form) a part or division of something

   这本教材分成十个章节，每个章节都有练习题。 zhèběn jiàocái fēnchéng shígè zhāngjié měigè zhāngjié dōu yǒu liànxítí — This textbook is divided into ten chapters; each section has exercises.

3. solar term (one of the 24 divisions of the traditional Chinese calendar)

   今天正好赶上立春这个节。 jīntiān zhènghǎo gǎnshàng lì chūn zhège jié — Today happens to fall on the solar term of Lichun.

4. seasonal festival; holiday (bound form)

   中秋节是一个重要的节日，全家人会团聚吃月饼。 zhōngqiūjié shì yígè zhòngyào de jiérì quánjiārén huì tuánjù chī yuèbǐng — Mid-Autumn Festival is an important holiday; families gather and eat mooncakes.

5. (bound form) to economize; to save (money, resources)

   我们这个月要多节省开支，尽量少出门吃饭。 wǒmen zhège yuè yào duō jiéshěngkāizhī jǐnliàngshǎo chūmén chīfàn — We need to economize this month and try to eat out less.

6. (bound form) moral integrity; chastity

   她为人重节，从不轻易妥协。 tā wéi rén zhòng jié cóng bùqīng yì tuǒxié — She values moral integrity and never compromises lightly.

7. classifier for sections, lessons, train cars, biblical verses, etc.

   这门课有十二节，每周上两节课。 zhè mén kè yǒu shíèr jié měizhōu shàng liǎngjiékè — This course has twelve lessons; there are two classes per week.

节 — jiē

1. bound pronunciation in 节骨眼 (jiēguyǎn): a critical juncture; crucial moment

   就在这个节骨眼上，他突然辞职了。 jiù zài zhège jiēgǔyǎn shàng tā tūrán cízhí le — At this critical juncture, he suddenly resigned.