Discover the Ultimate Chinese Handbook: Mastering Months, Days of the Week, and Years
Embarking on your journey to converse in Chinese, whether it's arranging that first crucial meeting or organizing weekend activities with newfound Chinese acquaintances, understanding how to discuss dates is essential.
By speaking Chinese, you'll unlock a world of possibilities on your calendar. With over a billion speakers in China and millions more across the globe, this language not only holds the rank of being the second most spoken worldwide but is also highly advantageous for business endeavors. As you forge meaningful relationships, your calendar is bound to fill up effortlessly.
However, before you embark on this exciting journey, it is vital to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of expressing dates in Chinese. This knowledge will greatly enrich your overall experience with the Chinese language, enabling you to efficiently plan engagements with colleagues, classmates, and new friends. As your connection with Chinese speakers strengthens, you'll find ample opportunities to practice outside the classroom.
Moreover, delving into the realm of the Chinese language offers a unique perspective on the world. For instance, if you are a native English speaker, you are likely accustomed to writing dates in the month-day-year format. Conversely, in Chinese, dates follow the year-month-day order, progressing from the largest to the smallest units.
Fortunately, discussing dates in Chinese bears resemblances to English. Armed with essential Chinese calendar vocabulary and a few additional tips, you'll be well-prepared. However, one crucial prerequisite skill is the ability to count in Chinese. If you haven't mastered this yet, we strongly advise you to pause and explore our beginner's guide to counting Chinese numbers, which offers invaluable assistance.
Now, with a solid foundation in numbers and a readiness to schedule appointments, let's delve into the key vocabulary that will propel you forward.
Key vocabulary: How to say months, years, and days
Let’s start by covering the building blocks of dates in Chinese: years, months, and days. As you’ll see later on, there are multiple ways to talk about days, but, for now, let’s focus on the essentials:
| Chinese character | Pinyin | English | Pronunciation |
| 年 | nián | Year | nian |
| 月 | yuè | Month | yueh |
| 日 | rì | Day | ryh |
How to talk about years in Chinese
When it comes to discussing years, the disparities between Chinese and English are pronounced. In Chinese, a distinct feature is the obligatory inclusion of the word 年 (year) when referencing a specific year, setting it apart from English, where the word "year" is often omitted except in ambiguous cases like "the year 2000" or "the year 32 BCE." In Chinese, the word 年 must be present each time without exception.
Furthermore, various languages employ diverse systems for pronouncing years. English breaks down four-digit years into two two-digit numbers, such as 1987 becoming "19-87" (nineteen eighty-seven). On the other hand, languages like Spanish and French prefer to pronounce the entire number as a whole. Chinese, however, adopts an individualistic approach, wherein each number is pronounced separately. For instance, 1987 is articulated as "one-nine-eight-seven." And, naturally, we mustn't overlook the inclusion of 年 (nián) at the end, resulting in 一九八七年 (one-nine-eight-seven-nián). It's as simple as that!
Allow me to present additional examples that showcase how Chinese years are read and expressed:
| Chinese character | Pinyin | English | Pronunciation |
| 一七四五年 | yī qī sì wǔ nián | 1745 | i chi syh wuu nian |
| 一九七一年 | yī jiǔ qī yī nián | 1971 | i jeou chi i nian |
| 一九九九年 | yī jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ nián | 1999 | i jeou jeou jeou nian |
| 二零零一年 | èr líng líng yī nián | 2001 | ell ling ling i nian |
| 二零一七年 | èr líng yī qī nián | 2017 | ell ling i chi nian |
| 二零二三年 | èr líng èr sān nián | 2023 | ell ling ell san nian |
| 二零三八年 | èr líng sān bā nián | 2038 | ell ling san ba nian |
| 三零二三年 | sān líng èr sān nián | 3023 | san ling ell san nian |
How to talk about months in Chinese
In our day-to-day conversations, our focus often centers around the present or the immediate past and future. Consequently, it is not always necessary to explicitly mention the year when discussing plans for the summer or recent activities. Instead, you can simply refer to the month alone if the context clearly indicates a specific time frame.
Learning the names of the months in Chinese is remarkably straightforward. Unlike English, which derives its month names from the Gregorian Calendar and assigns them based on Roman leaders, gods, festivals, or numbers, Chinese employs a straightforward arithmetic approach. To express the months, all you need to do is add the word for "month," 月 (yuè), immediately after the corresponding number from one to twelve. Interestingly, as a fun fact, the character 月 (yuè) originally meant "moon," which further aids in remembering the word for months. Doesn't the character resemble a waxing crescent moon?
For example, January is simply 一月 (yī yuè) in Chinese, translating directly to "month one." If you wish to discuss numerical quantities, you can easily do so using the Chinese measure word 个 (ge). For instance, to indicate that something took three months to complete, you can say 三个月 (sān ge yuè), meaning "three measure words of month."
By mastering these simple concepts, you'll be well-equipped to navigate discussions about time frames and effortlessly express durations in Chinese. So, whether you're scheduling future plans or sharing past experiences, incorporating Chinese months into your conversations will enhance your language skills and deepen your cultural understanding.
Here are the twelve months of the year in Chinese:
| Chinese character | Pinyin | English | Pronunciation |
| 一月 | yī yuè | January | i yueh |
| 二月 | èr yuè | February | ell yueh |
| 三月 | sān yuè | March | san yueh |
| 四月 | sì yuè | April | syh yueh |
| 五月 | wǔ yuè | May | wuu yueh |
| 六月 | liù yuè | June | liow yueh |
| 七月 | qī yuè | July | chi yueh |
| 八月 | bā yuè | August | ba yueh |
| 九月 | jiǔ yuè | September | jeou yueh |
| 十月 | shí yuè | October | shyr yueh |
| 十一月 | shí yī yuè | November | shyr i yueh |
| 十二月 | shí èr yuè | December | shyr ell yueh |
How to talk about days in Chinese
In Chinese, the concept of days is conveyed using three distinct words: 日 (rì), 号 (hào), and 天 (tiān). However, for the purpose of discussing dates, we will focus on the first two. Similar to Chinese months, transforming a number into a specific day is as simple as adding the character for "day" (either 日 or 号) after the number. For example, 十二日 represents the 12th day of the month. Unlike English, which employs ordinal numbers (first, second, third) when referring to days of the month, Chinese consistently employs cardinal numbers (one, two, three).
Now, how do we determine whether to use 日 (rì) or 号 (hào) when discussing days in Chinese? Generally, 日 (rì) is more formal and is commonly seen in written Chinese, while 号 (hào) is frequently used in spoken interactions, particularly in informal contexts.
Additionally, 天 (tiān) serves as a quantifier for days. It is employed when expressing time periods in terms of days, such as 三天后见 (sān tiān hòu jiàn), meaning "see you in three days." Moreover, 天 (tiān) can be used to refer to today, tomorrow, and yesterday, which will be further discussed in the following section.
Now, let's explore how to articulate the 31 days of the month in Chinese.
| Chinese character | Pinyin | English | Pronunciation |
| 一号 / 一日 | yī hào / yī rì | 1st | i haw / i ryh |
| 二号 / 二日 | èr hào / èr rì | 2nd | ell haw / ell ryh |
| 三号 / 三日 | sān hào / sān rì | 3rd | san haw / san ryh |
| 四号 / 四日 | sì hào / sì rì | 4th | syh haw / syh ryh |
| 五号 / 五日 | wǔ hào / wǔ rì | 5th | wuu haw / wuu ryh |
| 六号 / 六日 | liù hào / liù rì | 6th | liow haw / liow ryh |
| 七号 / 七日 | qī hào / qī rì | 7th | chi haw / chi ryh |
| 八号 / 八日 | bā hào / bā rì | 8th | ba haw / ba ryh |
| 九号 / 九日 | jiǔ hào / jiǔ rì | 9th | jeou haw / jeou ryh |
| 十号 / 十日 | shí hào / shí rì | 10th | shyr haw / shyr ryh |
| 十一号 / 十一日 | shí yī hào / shí yī rì | 11th | shyr i haw / shyr i ryh |
| 十二号 / 十二日 | shí èr hào / shí èr rì | 12th | shyr ell haw / shyr ell ryh |
| 十三号 / 十三日 | shí sān hào / shí sān rì | 13th | shyr san haw / shyr san ryh |
| 十四号 / 十四日 | shí sì hào / shí sì rì | 14th | shyr syh haw / shyr syh ryh |
| 十五号 / 十五日 | shí wǔ hào / shí wǔ rì | 15th | shyr wuu haw / shyr wuu ryh |
| 十六号 / 十六日 | shí liù hào / shí liù rì | 16th | shyr liow haw / shyr liow ryh |
| 十七号 / 十七日 | shí qī hào / shí qī rì | 17th | shyr chi haw / shyr chi ryh |
| 十八号 / 十八日 | shí bā hào / shí bā rì | 18th | shyr ba haw / shyr ba ryh |
| 十九号 / 十九日 | shí jiǔ hào / shí jiǔ rì | 19th | shyr jeou haw / shyr jeou ryh |
| 二十号 / 二十日 | èr shí hào / èr shí rì | 20th | ell shyr haw / ell shyr ryh |
| 二十一号 / 二十一日 | èr shí yī hào / èr shí yī rì | 21st | ell shyr i haw / ell shyr i ryh |
| 二十二号 / 二十二日 | èr shí èr hào / èr shí èr rì | 22nd | ell shyr ell haw / ell shyr ell ryh |
| 二十三号 / 二十三日 | èr shí sān hào / èr shí sān rì | 23rd | ell shyr san haw / ell shyr san ryh |
| 二十四号 / 二十四日 | èr shí sì hào / èr shí sì rì | 24th | ell shyr syh haw / ell shyr syh ryh |
| 二十五号 / 二十五日 | èr shí wǔ hào / èr shí wǔ rì | 25th | ell shyr wuu haw / ell shyr wuu ryh |
| 二十六号 / 二十六日 | èr shí liù hào / èr shí liù rì | 26th | ell shyr liow haw / ell shyr liow ryh |
| 二十七号 / 二十七日 | èr shí qī hào / èr shí qī rì | 27th | ell shyr chi haw / ell shyr chi ryh |
| 二十八号 / 二十八日 | èr shí bā hào / èr shí bā rì | 28th | ell shyr ba haw / ell shyr ba ryh |
| 二十九号 / 二十九日 | èr shí jiǔ hào / èr shí jiǔ rì | 29th | ell shyr jeou haw / ell shyr jeou ryh |
| 三十号 / 三十日 | sān shí hào / sān shí rì | 30th | san shyr haw / san shyr ryh |
| 三十一号 / 三十一日 | sān shí yī hào / sān shí yī rì | 31st | san shyr i haw / san shyr i ryh |
Days of the week in Chinese
In Chinese, the days of the week are not typically included when discussing dates but serve as valuable tools for planning immediate future engagements. There are three ways to refer to the days of the week in Chinese: 周 (zhōu), 星期 (xīng qī), and 礼拜 (lǐ bài). Among these, 周 (zhōu) and 星期 (xīng qī) are the most commonly used and can be employed in both formal and informal conversations. On the other hand, 礼拜 (lǐ bài) is informal and less prevalent, primarily used in spoken language.
When discussing the days of the week in Chinese, unlike years, months, and days, the number is placed after the corresponding term for the day. Simply follow these formulas to express the days of the week in Chinese:
- 周[X]
- 星期[X]
- 礼拜[X]
Replace the X with the number corresponding to the desired day of the week, where one represents Monday, two represents Tuesday, and so on. The only exception to this pattern is Sunday, which can be expressed as either 日 (rì) or 天 (tiān) instead of the corresponding "seven," as in 星期天 (xīng qī tiān).
Here are various ways to express the days of the week in Chinese:
| Chinese character | Pinyin | English | Pronunciation |
| 周一 | zhōu yī | Monday | jou i |
| 星期一 | xīng qī yī | Monday | shing chi i |
| 礼拜一 | lǐ bài yī | Monday | lii bay i |
| 周二 | zhōu èr | Tuesday | jou ell |
| 星期二 | xīng qī èr | Tuesday | xīng qī èr |
| 礼拜二 | lǐ bài èr | Tuesday | lii bay ell |
| 周三 | zhōu sān | Wednesday | jou san |
| 星期三 | xīng qī sān | Wednesday | shing chi san |
| 礼拜三 | lǐ bài sān | Wednesday | lii bay san |
| 周四 | zhōu sì | Thursday | jou syh |
| 星期四 | xīng qī sì | Thursday | shing chi syh |
| 礼拜四 | lǐ bài sì | Thursday | lii bay syh |
| 周五 | zhōu wǔ | Friday | jou wuu |
| 星期五 | xīng qī wǔ | Friday | shing chi wuu |
| 礼拜五 | lǐ bài wǔ | Friday | lii bay wuu |
| 周六 | zhōu liù | Saturday | jou liow |
| 星期六 | xīng qī liù | Saturday | shing chi liow |
| 礼拜六 | lǐ bài liù | Saturday | lii bay liow |
| 周日 | zhōu rì | Sunday | jou ryh |
| 周天 | zhōu tiān | Sunday | jou tian |
| 星期日 | xīng qī rì | Sunday | xīng qī rì |
| 星期天 | xīng qī tiān | Sunday | shing chi tian |
| 礼拜天 | lǐ bài tiān | Sunday | lii bay tian |
| 礼拜日 | lǐ bài rì | Sunday | lii bay ryh |
Other words related to dates in Chinese
In everyday conversations, precise dates may not always be necessary when discussing events or making plans. Instead, employing auxiliary words can effectively convey time frames and facilitate smooth communication.
Here are several useful words related to dates in Chinese:
| Chinese character | Pinyin | English | Pronunciation |
| 今天 | jīn tiān | Today | jin tian |
| 昨天 | míng tiān | Tomorrow | ming tian |
| 明天 | zuó tiān | Yesterday | tzwo tian |
| 前天 | qián tiān | The day before yesterday | chyan tian |
| 后天 | hòu tiān | The day after tomorrow | how tian |
| 这个星期 | zhè ge xīng qī | This week | jeh geh shing chi |
| 这个月 | zhè ge yuè | This month | jeh geh yueh |
| 今年 | jīn nián | This year | jin nian |
| 上个星期 | shàng ge xīng qī | Last week | shanq geh shing chi |
| 上个月 | shàng ge yuè | Last month | shanq geh yueh |
| 去年 | qù nián | Last year | chiuh nian |
| 下个星期 | xià ge xīng qī | Next week | shiah geh shing chi |
| 下个月 | xià ge yuè | Next month | shiah geh yueh |
| 明年 | míng nián | Next year | ming nian |
| 前年 | qián nián | The year before last | chyan nian |
| 后年 | hòu nián | The year after next | how nian |
| 早上 | zǎo shànɡ | Early morning | tzao shann |
| 上午 | shànɡ wǔ | Morning | shann wuu |
| 中午 | zhōnɡ wǔ | Noon | jong wuu |
| 下午 | xià wǔ | Afternoon | shiah wuu |
| 晚上 | wǎn shànɡ | Evening or night | woan shann |
| 半夜 | bàn yè | Midnight | bann yeh |
| 日历 | rì lì | Calendar | ryh lih |
| 阴历 | yīn lì | Chinese / lunar calendar | in lih |
| 生日 | shēng rì | Birthday | sheng ryh |
| 节日 | jié rì | Holiday/Festival | jye ryh |
These auxiliary words allow for flexible and convenient expression of time frames in Chinese conversations. Whether you're arranging a casual meetup or discussing past or future events, incorporating these terms will facilitate clear communication and enhance your ability to navigate the Chinese calendar with ease.
Important holidays in Chinese
Chinese culture boasts numerous distinctive festivals and holidays, characterized by their reliance on the Chinese calendar. Unlike fixed dates on the Gregorian calendar, these events vary each year.
Let's explore some of the important holidays in Chinese culture and their approximate timings:
| Chinese character | Pinyin | Date | English | Pronunciation |
| 元旦 | yuán dàn | January 1st | New Year’s Day | yuan dann |
| 除夕 | chú xì | January 21st | Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve | chwu shih |
| 新年 | xīn nián | January 22nd | Chinese Lunar New Year's Day | shin nian |
| 春节 | chūn jié | January 22nd | Spring Festival | chuen jye |
| 元宵节 | yuán xiāo jié | February 5th | Lantern Festival | yuan shiau jye |
| 情人节 | qíng rén jié | February 14th | Valentine’s Day | chyng ren jye |
| 愚人节 | yú rén jié | April 1st | April Fool’s Day | yuh ren jye |
| 清明节 | qīng míng jié | April 5th | Tomb Sweeping Day | ching ming jye |
| 复活节 | fù huó jié | Varies | Easter | fuh hwo jye |
| 劳动节 | láo dòng jié | May 1st | Labor Day | lau donq jye |
| 五二零 | wǔ èr líng | May 20th | Chinese Valentine’s Day | wuu ell ling |
| 儿童节 | ér tóng jié | June 1st | Children's Day | erl torng jye |
| 端午节 | duān wǔ jié | June 22nd | Dragon Boat Festival | duan wuu jye |
| 建军节 | jiàn jūn jié | August 1st | People's Liberation Army Day | jiann jiun jye |
| 父亲节 | fù qīn jié | August 8th | Chinese Fathers' Day | fuh chin jye |
| 七夕节 | qī xì jié | August 22nd | Double Seventh Festival Chinese Valentine's Day |
chi shih jye |
| 中元节 | zhōng yuán jié | August 30th | Ghost Festival | jong yuan jye |
| 中秋节 | zhōng qiū jié | September 29th | Mid-Autumn Festival | jong chiou jye |
| 国庆日 | guó qìng rì | October 1st | National Day | gwo chinq ryh |
| 重阳节 | chóng yáng jié | October 23rd | Double Ninth Festival | chorng yang jye |
| 万圣节 | wàn shèng jié | October 31st | Halloween | wann shenq jye |
| 光棍节 | guāng gùn jié | November 11 | Singles' Day | guang guenn jye |
| 感恩节 | gǎn’ēn jié | Varies | Thanksgiving | gaan en jye |
| 平安夜 | píng ān yè | December 24 | Christmas Eve | pyng an yeh |
| 圣诞节 | shèng dàn jié | December 25 | Christmas day | henq dann jye |
Fun facts about the Chinese calendar
What is the zodiac Chinese calendar?
The 12 animals of the zodiac are:
- 鼠 (shǔ) - Rat
- 牛 (niú) - Ox
- 虎 (hǔ) - Tiger
- 兔 (tù) - Rabbit
- 龙 (lóng) - Dragon
- 蛇 (shé) - Snake
- 马 (mǎ) - Horse
- 羊 (yáng) - Goat
- 猴 (hóu) - Monkey
- 鸡 (jī) - Rooster
- 狗 (gǒu) - Dog
- 猪 (zhū) - Pig
Unlike the Western zodiac, where the sign changes on a monthly basis, in the Chinese zodiac, the animal sign corresponds to the year of birth. For example, if you were born in the year of the Rabbit, you would always be considered a Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac.
This system is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and is believed to have a significant influence on a person's character, compatibility with others, and even their destiny. Many people refer to their zodiac animal to gain insights into their personality traits and to determine compatibility with friends, partners, and colleagues. It is also common to celebrate the Chinese New Year by incorporating symbols and traditions associated with the zodiac animal of that year.
How to calculate Chinese New Year
Calculating the exact date of the Chinese New Year requires a deep understanding of the Chinese lunar calendar, which involves complex astronomical calculations. However, for practical purposes, you can refer to a Chinese calendar or consult reliable sources to determine the date of the Chinese New Year for a specific year.
It's important to note that the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year in the Gregorian calendar. The Chinese New Year typically occurs between January 21 and February 20, depending on the lunar cycle and other factors.
To help you plan ahead, here are the dates for the Chinese New Year for the following ten years:
- 2024: February 10
- 2025: January 29
- 2026: February 17
- 2027: February 6
- 2028: January 26
- 2029: February 13
- 2030: February 3
- 2031: January 23
- 2032: February 11
- 2033: January 31
Keep in mind that these dates may vary slightly depending on the specific lunar observations and calculations. It's always recommended to double-check with a reliable source or consult a Chinese calendar for the most accurate information.
Time to get booked and busy thanks to this Chinese calendar vocab
Congratulations on expanding your vocabulary with these 121 words related to dates in Chinese! With this knowledge, you'll be able to schedule meetings, plan social gatherings, and engage in conversations about dates with confidence.
If you found this beginner's guide helpful, you'll be glad to know that there is more free content available in our Mandarin Chinese blog. We regularly update it with easy-to-understand and beginner-friendly guides to help you improve your Chinese language skills in a casual and enjoyable way. Make sure to explore topics such as the 214 Chinese radicals and pinyin to further enhance your understanding of the language.
Remember, practice is key to mastering any language. So, don't hesitate to use your newfound vocabulary and engage in conversations with native speakers or language exchange partners. Enjoy your language learning journey and continue to embrace opportunities to improve your Chinese skills outside the classroom.
