Days and Months in Chinese
The Days of the Week
Learning the days of the week is essential if you want to be able to communicate, plan events, and set appointments in Chinese. The days of the week are:
- 星期一 (xīngqī yī): Monday
- 星期二 (xīngqī èr): Tuesday
- 星期三 (xīngqī sān): Wednesday
- 星期四 (xīngqī sì): Thursday
- 星期五 (xīngqī wǔ): Friday
- 星期六 (xīngqī liù): Saturday
- 星期日 or 星期天 (xīngqī rì or xīngqī tiān): Sunday
Notice that the days of the week in Chinese are composed of two parts. The first part, 星期 (xīngqī), means week, and the second part specifies the day itself. Weekdays in Chinese are often abbreviated using the first character of their name. For example, Wednesday can be referred to as 三 (sān), which means three, since it is the third day of the week.
The Months of the Year
Now that you know how to say the days of the week in Chinese, it's time to move on to the months of the year. The months of the year in Chinese are:
- 一月 (yī yuè): January
- 二月 (èr yuè): February
- 三月 (sān yuè): March
- 四月 (sì yuè): April
- 五月 (wǔ yuè): May
- 六月 (liù yuè): June
- 七月 (qī yuè): July
- 八月 (bā yuè): August
- 九月 (jiǔ yuè): September
- 十月 (shí yuè): October
- 十一月 (shí yī yuè): November
- 十二月 (shí èr yuè): December
Just like the days of the week, the months of the year are made up of two parts. The first part, 月 (yuè), means month, and the second part specifies the month itself.
Special Days and Celebrations
Chinese culture has many special days and celebrations throughout the year. Here are a few that you may want to know:
- 春节 (chūnjié): Chinese New Year
- 元宵节 (yuánxiāo jié): Lantern Festival
- 清明节 (qīngmíng jié): Tomb Sweeping Day
- 端午节 (duānwǔ jié): Dragon Boat Festival
- 中秋节 (zhōngqiū jié): Mid-Autumn Festival
- 重阳节 (zhòngyáng jié): Double Ninth Festival
- 冬至 (dōngzhì): Winter Solstice
These special days and celebrations often involve traditions, such as eating certain foods, setting off fireworks, or visiting family and friends. Knowing the names and dates of these celebrations can help you participate in the culture and better understand Chinese customs and traditions.
