Days of the Week in Chinese

The days of the week in Chinese (星期, xīngqī) follow a unique numerical pattern that's straightforward and logical. Unlike many Western languages that name days after planets or deities, Chinese weekday names use numbers from one to six, plus a special term for Sunday.

In Chinese, 星期 (xīngqī) means "week" and forms the base of each day's name, followed by a number (for Monday through Saturday) or the character for "sky/heaven" for Sunday. The Chinese week begins with Monday (星期一, xīngqīyī), which literally translates to "week day one."

In this comprehensive guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about days of the week in Chinese, including proper character representation, pronunciation guides with tone markers, alternative forms, and practical usage in both spoken and written contexts.

Chinese pronunciation can be challenging for non-native speakers due to its tonal nature. Here's a detailed guide to help you pronounce each day correctly:

Key Pronunciation Points

• Chinese is a tonal language with four main tones (plus a neutral tone). The same syllable pronounced with different tones can have completely different meanings.
• Pinyin is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese and includes tone marks over vowels to indicate the tone.
• The term for "week," 星期 (xīngqī), is pronounced with a high, level tone (first tone) for both syllables.
• Each number following 星期 has its own tone pattern.

Tones in Mandarin Chinese

• First tone (¯): High and level. Example: 星 (xīng) - star
• Second tone (´): Rising, like asking a question. Example: 周 (zhōu) - week
• Third tone (ˇ): Falling then rising. Example: 五 (wǔ) - five
• Fourth tone (`): Falling, sharp and short. Example: 四 (sì) - four
• Neutral tone (no mark): Light and quick. Example: 的 (de) - possessive particle

Breakdown by Day

• 星期一 (xīngqī yī): The final "yī" (one) is pronounced with a high, level first tone.
• 星期二 (xīngqī èr): The "èr" (two) is pronounced with a falling fourth tone.
• 星期三 (xīngqī sān): The "sān" (three) uses a first tone.
• 星期四 (xīngqī sì): The "sì" (four) uses a falling fourth tone.
• 星期五 (xīngqī wǔ): The "wǔ" (five) uses a falling-then-rising third tone.
• 星期六 (xīngqī liù): The "liù" (six) is pronounced with a falling fourth tone.
• 星期天 (xīngqī tiān): The "tiān" (sky/heaven) is pronounced with a high, level first tone. Alternatively, 星期日 (xīngqī rì) has "rì" (sun/day) with a falling fourth tone.

Main Variations in Chinese Weekday Names

Chinese offers two main systems for referring to days of the week:

• 星期 (xīngqī) System: The most common form used in mainland China, combining 星期 (week) with numbers 1-6 or 天/日 for Sunday.
• 周 (zhōu) System: A shorter, more informal version that's also widely used, especially in business and modern contexts. It combines 周 (week) with the same numbers (e.g., 周一, zhōu yī for Monday).

Sunday Variations

Sunday has more variations than other days:

• 星期天 (xīngqī tiān): Literally "week sky/heaven day," common in spoken Mandarin
• 星期日 (xīngqī rì): Literally "week sun day," more formal and official
• 周日 (zhōu rì): Short form, widely used in writing and formal contexts
• 周天 (zhōu tiān): Less common but still heard in some regions

Regional Differences

While the characters remain consistent across Chinese-speaking regions, there are some regional preferences:

• In Taiwan, 禮拜 (lǐbài, literally "worship") may be used instead of 星期, especially in spoken language (e.g., 禮拜一, lǐbài yī for Monday).
• Hong Kong and Macau may use both Standard Mandarin forms as well as Cantonese variations in daily conversation.
• In Singapore, the 星期 form is predominant in formal contexts, while a mix of English and Chinese terms might be used in casual speech.

Common Phrases and Expressions

Here are some useful phrases for talking about days of the week in Chinese:

• 今天是星期几？ (jīntiān shì xīngqī jǐ?) - "What day is today?" (literally "Today is week-what?")
• 今天是星期三。 (jīntiān shì xīngqī sān.) - "Today is Wednesday."
• 明天是星期四。 (míngtiān shì xīngqī sì.) - "Tomorrow is Thursday."
• 昨天是星期二。 (zuótiān shì xīngqī èr.) - "Yesterday was Tuesday."

Talking About Specific Days

When referring to events on a particular day, you typically use the following structure:

• 星期一见面 (xīngqī yī jiànmiàn) - "Meet on Monday"
• 我星期六工作 (wǒ xīngqī liù gōngzuò) - "I work on Saturday"
• 星期天休息 (xīngqī tiān xiūxi) - "Rest on Sunday"

Time Expressions with Days of the Week

To specify morning, afternoon, or evening of a particular day:

• 星期一上午 (xīngqī yī shàngwǔ) - "Monday morning"
• 星期三下午 (xīngqī sān xiàwǔ) - "Wednesday afternoon"
• 星期五晚上 (xīngqī wǔ wǎnshang) - "Friday evening"

Expressing Recurring Events

For activities that happen every week on a certain day, you can use 每 (měi, "every"):

• 每星期一 (měi xīngqī yī) - "Every Monday"
• 我们每周四开会 (wǒmen měi zhōu sì kāihuì) - "We have a meeting every Thursday"
• 每个星期天 (měi gè xīngqī tiān) - "Every Sunday" (adding 个 for emphasis)

Historical Development

The modern seven-day week system in Chinese is relatively recent, adopted in the early 20th century as part of broader modernization:

• Traditionally, China used a ten-day week called 旬 (xún) within its lunar calendar system.
• The seven-day week was introduced to China through Western influence and became officially adopted only in the Republican era (after 1912).
• The term 星期 literally means "star period," referring to the astrological origins of the seven-day week in Western cultures, even though Chinese weekdays don't use planet names.

Work and Rest Patterns

The modern Chinese workweek follows international standards:

• The standard workweek is Monday through Friday (星期一至星期五, xīngqī yī zhì xīngqī wǔ).
• Saturday and Sunday (周末, zhōumò, literally "week end") form the weekend.
• During Chinese New Year and other major holidays, extended breaks may last an entire week or longer.

Lucky and Unlucky Days

In Chinese culture, certain days may be considered more auspicious than others for specific activities:

• Traditional Chinese almanacs (通书, tōngshū) specify lucky days for important events like weddings, business openings, or moving houses.
• These designations are often based on the complex Chinese lunar calendar rather than the seven-day week system.
• In modern urban China, such traditional beliefs have less influence on everyday scheduling, though they may still be considered for major life events.

Numerical Pattern

The Chinese weekday system is highly logical and numerical, making it relatively easy to learn:

• Simply learn to count from one to six in Chinese: 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù).
• Add 星期 (xīngqī) before each number.
• For Sunday, remember either 星期天 (xīngqī tiān, "week sky/heaven") or 星期日 (xīngqī rì, "week sun").

Form Associations

Create connections between Chinese numbers and their corresponding days:

• Monday (星期一, xīngqī yī) - The start of the work week is day #1.
• Wednesday (星期三, xīngqī sān) - The middle of the work week is day #3.
• Friday (星期五, xīngqī wǔ) - The fifth day brings the weekend.
• Sunday (星期天, xīngqī tiān) - The character 天 (tiān) means "sky/heaven" — think of it as a day to relax under the open sky.

Short Form Practice

Once you've mastered the full 星期 forms, practice the shorter 周 (zhōu) versions:

• 周一 (zhōu yī) - Monday
• 周二 (zhōu èr) - Tuesday
• And so on...