I can say and ask the date, the day of the week, and the season — 今天几月几号？星期几？— and say when my birthday is.
Dates: 年, 月, 号, 星期
Dates: 年, 月, 号, 星期
What for: saying the date, the day of the week, and the season. It's all built from numbers.
• Day of the week — 星期 + number: 星期一 — Monday … 星期六 — Saturday; Sunday is 星期天 or 星期日. • Month — number + 月: 一月 … 十二月; February is 二月. • Date — number + 号 (in speech) or 日 (in writing).
The order goes from the largest unit to the smallest: 年 → 月 → 日 → 星期. A year is read figure by figure: 二〇二六年 (èr líng èr liù nián), never as “two thousand twenty-six”. See the tables.
Questions: 几月几号？(Jǐ yuè jǐ hào?) 星期几？(Xīngqī jǐ?) The answer needs no 是, as with the time: “今天一号。(Jīntiān yī hào.)” (It's correct with 是 too; with “not” it's only 不是.)
今天, 明天, 昨天 — today, tomorrow, yesterday; 今年, 明年, 去年 — this year, next year, last year. 去 here doesn't mean “to go”: 去年 is “last year”.
Counting: 一天, 一年 — no measure word; 一个星期, 一个月 — with 个. 一月 is January, 一个月 is one month.
Common mistakes:
• ×二十七号九月 → 九月二十七号 (jiǔ yuè èrshíqī hào)
• ×星期七 → 星期天 (xīngqītiān)
• ×两月 → 二月 (èr yuè)
• ×三个天 → 三天 (sān tiān).
Days of the week
Sunday is the only day without a number.
| Day of the week | Translation |
|---|---|
| 星期一 (xīngqīyī) | Monday |
| 星期二 (xīngqī'èr) | Tuesday |
| 星期三 (xīngqīsān) | Wednesday |
| 星期四 (xīngqīsì) | Thursday |
| 星期五 (xīngqīwǔ) | Friday |
| 星期六 (xīngqīliù) | Saturday |
| 星期天 / 星期日 (xīngqītiān / xīngqīrì) | Sunday |
The date: from the largest unit to the smallest
In English: Sunday, September 27, 2026 — the weekday first, the year last.
| 年 | 月 | 日 (号) | 星期 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026年 | 9月 | 27日 | 星期日 |
| èr líng èr liù nián | jiǔ yuè | èrshíqī rì | xīngqīrì |
Seasons
| Season | Months |
|---|---|
| 春天 (chūntiān) | 3, 4, 5 |
| 夏天 (xiàtiān) | 6, 7, 8 |
| 秋天 (qiūtiān) | 9, 10, 11 |
| 冬天 (dōngtiān) | 12, 1, 2 |
Lesson notes
Dates: 年, 月, 号, 星期
What for: saying the date, the day of the week, and the season. It's all built from numbers.
• Day of the week — 星期 + number: 星期一 — Monday … 星期六 — Saturday; Sunday is 星期天 or 星期日. • Month — number + 月: 一月 … 十二月; February is 二月. • Date — number + 号 (in speech) or 日 (in writing).
The order goes from the largest unit to the smallest: 年 → 月 → 日 → 星期. A year is read figure by figure: 二〇二六年 (èr líng èr liù nián), never as “two thousand twenty-six”. See the tables.
Questions: 几月几号？(Jǐ yuè jǐ hào?) 星期几？(Xīngqī jǐ?) The answer needs no 是, as with the time: “今天一号。(Jīntiān yī hào.)” (It's correct with 是 too; with “not” it's only 不是.)
今天, 明天, 昨天 — today, tomorrow, yesterday; 今年, 明年, 去年 — this year, next year, last year. 去 here doesn't mean “to go”: 去年 is “last year”.
Counting: 一天, 一年 — no measure word; 一个星期, 一个月 — with 个. 一月 is January, 一个月 is one month.
Common mistakes:
• ×二十七号九月 → 九月二十七号 (jiǔ yuè èrshíqī hào)
• ×星期七 → 星期天 (xīngqītiān)
• ×两月 → 二月 (èr yuè)
• ×三个天 → 三天 (sān tiān).