
TGIF! Counting Down the Days of the Week in Chinese
The Monday blues. Hump Day (a.k.a Wednesday). Thirsty Thursdays.
Whether literal or symbolic, each day of the week has meaning for us.
And given that we’re always looking forward to the weekend, we talk about the days of the week a lot. Maybe even more than we realize.
It’s hard to have a conversation in any language without knowing how to describe something as simple as the date. Everything is relative to time, after all!
You might already know how to say the days of the week in Chinese, but did you know there are actually three ways you could say “Saturday” and six ways you can say “Sunday” in Mandarin?
Read on to find out all of the different ways you can say the days of the week in Chinese, as well as how to talk about appointments, weekly activities, plans and more.
TGIF! Counting Down the Days of the Week in Chinese
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3 Ways to Say the Days of the Week in Chinese
星期 (xīngqī)
Let’s start off with the way that most people learn about the days of the week. Like the days of the week in English, 星期 also has astrological origins. Literally meaning “star period,” 星期 is said to be based on the ancient, seven-day planetary cycle.
This is the standard, and therefore the most common, way that Chinese people say the days of the week.
Chinese | Pinyin | English |
星期一 | xīngqí yī | Monday |
星期二 | xīngqí'èr | Tuesday |
星期三 | xīngqísān | Wednesday |
星期四 | xīngqísì | Thursday |
星期五 | xīngqíwǔ | Friday |
星期六 | xīngqíliù | Saturday |
星期日 星期天 | xīngqírì | Sunday |
礼拜 (lǐbài)
With the prevalence of Christian missionaries in the 19th century, Sunday was also recognized as the “day of worship,” or 礼拜天 (lǐbài tiān), in China.
礼拜 is commonly used in written and spoken form in northern and southern parts of mainland China, as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, although some people believe 礼拜 is too colloquial and prefer to use 星期 in written Chinese.
Chinese | Pinyin | English |
礼拜一 | lǐbài yī | Monday |
礼拜二 | lǐbài èr | Tuesday |
礼拜三 | lǐbài sān | Wednesday |
礼拜四 | lǐbài sì | Thursday |
礼拜五 | lǐbài wǔ | Friday |
礼拜六 | lǐbài liù | Saturday |
礼拜日 礼拜天 | lǐbài rì | Sunday |
周 (zhōu)
周 was used as a modern alternative to naming the days of the week. First appearing around the 20th century, many prefer using this naming method over the first two since it’s shorter.
Chinese | Pinyin | English |
周一 | zhōuyī | Monday |
周二 | zhōu'èr | Tuesday |
周三 | zhōusān | Wednesday |
周四 | zhōu sì | Thursday |
周五 | zhōu wǔ | Friday |
周六 | zhōu liù | Saturday |
周日 周天 | zhōu rì | Sunday |
Additional Vocabulary
Now that you know what the days are in Chinese, let’s move on to other terms you’ll need when discussing time.
Talking about Days
We don’t just talk about time in relation to the days of the week. We’ll say things like “a couple of days ago,” “every other day” and “tomorrow.”
Here’s a list of vocab that you can use in place of specific days.
Chinese | Pinyin | English |
日 | rì | Day, sun |
天 | tiān | Day, sky |
工作日 | gōngzuò rì | Workday, working day, weekday |
昨天 | zuótiān | Yesterday |
今日 今天 | jīnrì | Today |
明天 | míngtiān | Tomorrow |
前天 | qiántiān | Day before yesterday, two days ago |
后天 | hòutiān | Day after tomorrow, in two days |
另一天 | lìng yītiān | Another day, some other day |
每天 | měitiān | Every day |
隔天 | gé tiān | Every other day, alternate days |
每三天 | měi sān tiān | Every three days |
三天前 | sān tiān qián | Three days ago |
三天后 | sān tiānhòu | Three days later |
在三天之内 | zài sān tiān zhī nèi | Within three days |
连续三天 | liánxù sān tiān | Three days in a row, three consecutive days |
第五天 | dì wǔ tiān | Fifth day |
星期一到星期五 | xīngqí yī dào xīngqíwǔ | Monday to Friday |
Talking about Weeks
Of course, we don’t always talk about time in the context of days. If you want to be a little more general and discuss appointments, engagements and events relative to the week, here’s what you’ll need to know.
Chinese | Pinyin | English |
平日 | píngrì | Weekdays |
工作周 | gōngzuò zhōu | Workweek |
周末 | zhōumò | Weekend |
上周末 | shàng zhōumò | Last weekend |
下周末 | xià zhōumò | Next weekend |
前的周末 | qián de zhōumò | The weekend before |
后的周末 | hòu de zhōumò | The weekend after |
上周 | shàng zhōu | Last week |
本周 | běn zhōu | This week |
下周 | xià zhōu | Next week |
本周开始 | běn zhōu kāishǐ | Beginning of this week |
本周中 | běn zhōu zhōng | Middle of this week |
本周末 | běn zhōumò | This weekend, end of this week |
两周前 | liǎng zhōu qián | Two weeks ago |
两周后 | liǎng zhōu hòu | Two weeks later |
连续三个星期 | liánxù sān gè xīngqí | Three weeks in a row, three consecutive weeks |
每周 | měi zhōu | Every week |
每隔一周 | měi gé yīzhōu | Every other week, alternate weeks |
每三周 | měi sān zhōu | Every three weeks |
第三周 | dì sān zhōu | Third week |
How to Use the Days of the Week in Chinese: Example Dialogues
You have the terms, so it’s time to see examples of how we can use them in conversation. We’ve provided some simple dialogues to help you practice, as you should never be learning vocabulary in isolation if you want to master the language.
Indicating the Day of the Week
Let’s start off with something basic.
A: 今天星期几?
(jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?)
What day is it today?
B: 今天是星期三。
(jīntiān shì xīngqīsān.)
Today is Wednesday.
Here’s another example.
A: 你什么时候回去上班?
(nǐ shénme shíhòu huíqù shàngbān?)
When do you go back to work?
B: 我下周二回去上班。
(wǒ xià zhōu’èr huíqù shàngbān.)
I go back to work next Tuesday.
Setting Appointments
Another situation where you’d discuss the days of the week is when you’re making an appointment. Here’s how the conversation might go when calling for a doctor’s appointment.
A: 医生这个星期五有时间吗?
(yīshēng zhège xīngqīwǔ yǒu shíjiān ma?)
Is the doctor available this Friday?
B: 医生只在星期二和星期四有空。星期四可以吗?
(yīshēng zhǐ zài xīngqī’èr hé xīngqīsì yǒu kòng. xīngqīsì kěyǐ ma?)
The doctor is only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Is Thursday okay?
A: 可以。星期四见!
(kěyǐ. xīngqīsì jiàn!)
Yes. See you Thursday!
B: 星期四见!
(xīngqīsì jiàn!)
See you Thursday!
Making Plans
Need to make plans? Here’s an example of how you might discuss planning a friend’s birthday party.
A: 她的生日是什么时候?
(tā de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou?)
When is her birthday?
B: 两周后。
(liǎng zhōu hòu.)
In two weeks.
A: 是工作日还是周末?
(shì gōngzuò rì háishì zhōumò?)
Is it on a weekday or weekend?
B: 我认为是星期一。
(wǒ rènwéi shì xīngqī yī.)
I think it’s on a Monday.
A: 我们应该在她生日前的周末举行聚会。
(wǒmen yīnggāi zài tā shēngrì qián de zhōumò jǔxíng jùhuì.)
We should have a party the weekend before her birthday.
For intermediate Mandarin speakers, you may also refer to the video provided below for a second example dialogue of making plans in Chinese.
In this verbal exchange about weekend plans, one person describes the other as a homebody, as he explains his love for staying at home on his days off.
Talking About Past Events
Recalling events from the past week? Let’s have a look at this sample dialogue.
A: 您上周一参加了培训吗?
(nín shàng zhōu yī cānjiāle péixùn ma?)
Did you attend the training last Monday?
B: 那时我没空。我参加了星期三的培训。
(nà shí wǒ méi kōng. wǒ cānjiāle xīngqīsān de péixùn.)
I wasn’t available then. I attended the training on Wednesday.
Discussing Weekly Activities
And lastly, here’s an example of a discussion of weekly events.
A: 你多久运动一次?
(nǐ duōjiǔ yùndòng yīcì?)
How often do you exercise?
B: 每周跑步两次。有时我上瑜伽课。
(měi zhōu pǎobù liǎng cì. yǒushí wǒ shàng yújiā kè.)
I go running twice a week. Sometimes I go to yoga classes.
A: 瑜伽课是星期几?
(yújiā kè shì xīngqī jǐ?)
What day is the yoga class?
B: 每周五。
(měi zhōu wǔ.)
Every Friday.
A: 下个星期五我跟你一起去。
(xià gè xīngqīwǔ wǒ gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù.)
I’ll go with you next Friday.
As you can see, simply knowing the days of the week is not enough to discuss time in Mandarin. While there are certainly other grammar points that are more complex than this, it’s good to take your time with simple concepts, such as the days of the week in Chinese, since there’s always more than what meets the eye!