Dates and Calendar

Chinese dates are like building blocks. You just need the numbers 1 through 31 and four key words. These words are nián (year), yuè (month), rì or hào (day), and xīngqī (week). You do not need to learn fancy names for months like "January" or "September." In Chinese, January is just "Month 1." February is "Month 2." It is incredibly efficient. Imagine if we called Monday "Day 1" and Tuesday "Day 2." That is basically how Chinese works. It is like a mathematical dream. You just stack the units in descending order of size. Year comes first, always. Then the month. Then the day. If you want to be extra specific, the day of the week comes last. It is a logical progression that makes sense to the brain.

1. 1To build a date, follow these three simple steps:
2. 2Say the Year: Read the digits individually and add nián. For 2024, say èr líng èr sì nián.
3. 3Say the Month: Use the number (1-12) plus yuè. For March, say sān yuè.
4. 4Say the Day: Use the number (1-31) plus hào (spoken) or rì (written). For the 15th, say shí wǔ hào.
5. 5If you want to add the day of the week, put it at the very end. For example: èr líng èr sì nián, sān yuè, shí wǔ hào, xīngqī wǔ. That is Friday, March 15th, 2024. It feels like filling out a very orderly form. Even if you are nervous in a job interview, this pattern will keep you grounded. Just remember: Big to Small. It is the golden rule of Chinese time.

You will use this every single day. Use it when you are making an appointment at the bank. Use it when you are checking your train tickets on the 12306 app. Use it when someone asks for your birthday. In real-world scenarios, like ordering a cake for a party, you will need to specify the yuè and hào clearly. If you are writing a formal email to a professor, you will use the exact same structure. The only difference is you might swap hào for rì to sound a bit more professional. It is like wearing a suit versus wearing a t-shirt. The person inside is the same, but the vibe changes slightly. Whether you are reading a history book or a movie poster, the date format remains your constant friend.

Do not use this pattern when you are talking about a duration of time. If you want to say "I stayed for three days," do not use hào. Use tiān instead. hào is for a specific point on the calendar, like a pin on a map. tiān is for the length of the journey. Similarly, do not use yuè for duration. If you studied for three months, say sān gè yuè. The little word gè is a measure word that signals you are counting months, not naming one. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. hào means "Stop at this date." tiān means "Keep going for this long." Mixing them up is a classic mistake, but now you know the secret.

The biggest trap for English speakers is the order. You might instinctively say the day first because that is what you do at home. If you say shí hào shí yuè, a Chinese person will think you mean October 10th, not the other way around. Another common slip-up is the year 2000. Do not say "two thousand" (liǎng qiān). Say the digits: èr líng líng líng nián. It feels weird at first, like spelling out a phone number. But trust me, it is the way to go. Also, watch out for the number two. For months and days, we use èr. For counting two months of duration, we use liǎng. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are tired, so do not sweat it too much!

Let’s look at hào versus rì. They both mean "day," but they have different jobs. hào is the social butterfly. It loves being spoken out loud. You use it with friends, family, and colleagues. rì is the librarian. It is quiet, formal, and usually stays in books or official documents. If you see a date on a contract, it will say rì. If your friend asks when the concert is, you say hào. Then there is the week. You might hear xīngqī, zhōu, or lǐbài. They all mean "week." xīngqī is the standard version you should learn first. zhōu is a bit more formal, and lǐbài is very common in southern China and Taiwan. They are like synonyms for "sofa" and "couch."