Guò Chūnjié de shíhou, tā jiāli de qìfen tèbié wēnnuǎn.

possessive particle

Breakdown of Guò Chūnjié de shíhou, tā jiāli de qìfen tèbié wēnnuǎn.

• 家jiā: home
• 她tā: she
• 的de: structural particle

Questions & Answers about Guò Chūnjié de shíhou, tā jiāli de qìfen tèbié wēnnuǎn.

What exactly does 过 (guò) mean in 过春节的时候? Is it the same 过 as in the past-experience marker?

In 过春节的时候, 过 is a verb meaning “to spend / to celebrate (a festival or special day)”.

• 过春节 = “to celebrate Spring Festival / to spend Spring Festival”
• It is not the aspect marker 过 here (as in 我去过中国, “I have been to China”).

You can see the same usage in:

• 过生日 – to celebrate a birthday
• 过年 – to celebrate the New Year / spend the New Year

So the whole phrase 过春节的时候 literally means “when (she is) celebrating Spring Festival” or “during Spring Festival (celebrations)”.

Why do we say 过春节的时候 instead of just 春节的时候? Is there a difference?

Both are possible, but they have a slightly different feel:

• 春节的时候 – “during Spring Festival”, a bit more neutral.
• 过春节的时候 – “when (they) are celebrating Spring Festival”, emphasizing the period of celebration / activities.

So:

• 春节的时候，她家里的氣氛特别温暖。
  = During Spring Festival, the atmosphere at her home is especially warm.

• 过春节的时候，她家里的氣氛特别温暖。
  = During the time when they celebrate Spring Festival, the atmosphere at her home is especially warm. (Focus on celebrating.)

In everyday speech, both are natural; 过春节的时候 subtly highlights the festivities.

What is the function of 的时候 (de shíhou) here? Could we just say 过春节时 instead?