Days of the Week in Mandarin Chinese
Learning the days of the week in Mandarin Chinese is incredibly logical. Once you know the word for "week" and the numbers one through six, you can instantly name almost every day of the week!
Quick Answer Table
| English | Hanzi | Pinyin | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 星期一 | xīngqī yī | |
| Tuesday | 星期二 | xīngqī èr | |
| Wednesday | 星期三 | xīngqī sān | |
| Thursday | 星期四 | xīngqī sì | |
| Friday | 星期五 | xīngqī wǔ | |
| Saturday | 星期六 | xīngqī liù | |
| Sunday | 星期日 | xīngqī rì |
Pronunciation Guide & Usage
Mandarin is a tonal language, meaning the pitch of your voice changes the meaning of the word. The marks above the vowels in the pinyin indicate the tone. For example, the flat line in xīngqī means you keep your voice high and steady (first tone).
The structure is simply the word for week (星期 - xīngqī) followed by a number. Monday is week-one, Tuesday is week-two, and so on. The only exception is Sunday, which uses the character for sun (日 - rì) or sky (天 - tiān) instead of the number seven.
Cultural Notes & Origins
The word xīngqī (星期) literally translates to "star period." This reflects ancient astronomical observations where time was tracked by the movement of celestial bodies.
In modern China, the work week runs from Monday to Friday. However, due to the "Golden Week" national holidays, the government sometimes mandates weekend work days to compensate for long consecutive days off. If you are wondering how many days in a week people work in China, it is officially five, but the "996" work culture (9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days a week) is notoriously common in the tech industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sunday not "xīngqī qī" (week seven)?
Sunday breaks the numerical pattern. Instead of using the number seven, it uses the character for sun (日 - rì) or sky/heaven (天 - tiān).
Are there other ways to say the days of the week in Chinese?
Yes! Besides "xīngqī", you can also use "lǐbài" (礼拜) which is slightly more casual, or "zhōu" (周) which is more formal and used in written Chinese.
What is the first day of the week in China?
In China, the week officially begins on Monday (星期一).
Are traditional and simplified characters different for days of the week?
For the standard "xīngqī" format, the characters are exactly the same in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
Related Pages
Days of the Week in Japanese
Learn getsuyōbi, kayōbi, and more.
Days of the Week in French
Discover lundi, mardi, and more.
Days of the Week in Spanish
Master lunes, martes, and more.
How Many Days in a Week?
Explore the origins of the 7-day week.