Lesson 3: Calendar The Days of the Week – In Chinese, Monday through Saturday are

referred to by the corresponding numbers from 1 – 6. “Rì” or “Tian” is

Vocabulary: used for Sunday. (The word “xīngqī” precedes the numbers and “rì” or
“tian”.)
Chinese English Chinese English
nián year xīngqī week xīngqīyī Monday xīngqīwŭ Friday
rì, hào day yue month xīngqīèr Tuesday xīngqīliù Saturday
xīngqīsān Wednesday xīngqīrì(tiān) Sunday
The Months of the Year – In Chinese, the twelve months of the year are xīngqīsì Thursday
referred to by the corresponding numbers from 1 –12. (With the word
“yue” following the number.) Supplementary Vocabulary – Time phrases

yíyue January qīyue July hòunian year after next year shàng(ge)xīngqī last week
èryue February bāyue August jīnnian this year xià(ge)yue next month
sānyue March jiŭyue September míngnian next year xià(ge)xīngqī next week
sìyue April shíyue October qiánnian year before last year zhèi(ge)yue this month
wŭyue May shíyīyue November qùnian last year zhèi(ge)xīngqī this week
liùyue June shíèryue December shàng(ge)yue – last month zhōumò weekend

The Days of the Month – In Chinese, each of the 30 days of the month Notes
are referred to by the corresponding numbers from 1 – 30. (With the
word “rì” following the number.) In Chinese, dates and times are expressed in the following patterns:

yírì 1st shíyīrì 11th èrshíyīrì 21st year + month + day(of the month) + day(of the week) + a.m. or p.m.
èrrì 2nd shíèrrì 12th èrshíèrrì 22nd + time(of day)
sānrì 3rd shísānrì 13th èrshísānrì 23rd
sìrì 4th shísìrì 14th èrshísìrì 24th For examples: 7p.m. Wednesday, December 5, 1985 must be written:
wŭrì 5th shíwŭrì 15th èrshíwŭrì 25th
liùrì 6th shíliùrì 16th èrshíliùrì 26th 1985 nián shíèryue wŭrì xīngqīsān (xiàwŭ qī diăn.)
qīrì 7th shíqīrì 17th èrshíqīrì 27th
bārì 8th shíbārì 18th èrshíbārì 28th
jiŭrì 9th shíjiŭrì 19th èrshíjiŭrì 29th
shírì 10th èrshírì 20th sānshírì 30th