xīngqī: 星期 - Week, Day of the Week

• Keywords: 星期, xingqi, Chinese for week, days of the week in Chinese, 星期一, 星期天, how to say week in Mandarin, Monday in Chinese, Sunday in Chinese, Chinese calendar, 周, zhou, 礼拜, libai.
• Summary: Learn the most common way to say “week” in Chinese: 星期 (xīngqī). This comprehensive guide explains how to form the days of the week in Mandarin—a simple, logical system from Monday (星期一) to Sunday (星期天). Discover the term's cultural origins, see practical examples for scheduling and daily conversation, and understand the key differences between 星期, 周 (zhōu), and 礼拜 (lǐbài) to master this fundamental concept.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xīngqī
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A period of seven days; used as the base for naming the days of the week.
• In a Nutshell: 星期 (xīngqī) is the standard, everyday word for “week” in Mandarin Chinese. It's the building block for the days of the week, which are formed by simply adding a number after it. This makes scheduling and talking about time incredibly logical and easy to learn for beginners.

• 星 (xīng): Star, planet. The character is a pictograph of the sun (日) above the character for life/birth (生), originally representing the stars that seem to be “born” in the night sky.
• 期 (qī): A period of time, a date, a phase. This character is composed of 其 (a phonetic component) and 月 (the character for “moon”), linking it to cycles of time, like the phases of the moon.
• Together, 星期 (xīngqī) literally translates to “star period” or “star cycle.” This name comes from the ancient Babylonian system, adopted by many cultures, of naming the seven days after the seven classical celestial bodies: the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn.

The concept of a seven-day week is not native to traditional Chinese calendrical systems but was adopted from the West. However, the way it was implemented reflects a distinct cultural approach. While English names for the days of the week come from Norse and Roman gods (e.g., Thursday from Thor's Day, Saturday from Saturn's Day), the Chinese system is purely numerical and systematic. The days are simply “Star Period One” (Monday), “Star Period Two” (Tuesday), and so on. This logical, numbered system is much easier to learn and reflects a pragmatic approach to language. It avoids mythological or religious references in its standard form, making it universally neutral. This contrasts with the Western system, which requires memorizing unique, historically-derived names for each day. The adoption of the Monday-to-Sunday week is now universal in modern China, with the work week (工作日 gōngzuòrì) running from 星期一 to 星期五 and the weekend (周末 zhōumò) being 星期六 and 星期天.

星期 is fundamental for all daily scheduling. The system is highly regular and easy to master.

You simply add a number from one to six after 星期.

• 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

Sunday does not use the number seven. Instead, it has two common names:

• 星期天 (xīngqītiān): (Literally “Week Sky/Day”) This is the most common and colloquial way to say Sunday.
• 星期日 (xīngqīrì): (Literally “Week Sun”) This is slightly more formal and is often used in writing, on calendars, and in official contexts.

To ask “What day of the week is it?”, you use the question word 几 (jǐ), which means “how many” (for small numbers).

• 今天星期几？ (Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?) - What day is it today?

• Example 1:
  • 今天是星期一。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān shì xīngqīyī.
  • English: Today is Monday.
  • Analysis: A simple, essential sentence structure. Notice how time words like 今天 (jīntiān - today) typically come at the beginning of the sentence.
• Example 2:
  • 你这个星期忙不忙？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zhège xīngqī máng bu máng?
  • English: Are you busy this week?
  • Analysis: This uses the “A-not-A” (忙不忙) question format, a common alternative to using the question particle 吗 (ma). 这个 (zhège) means “this.”
• Example 3:
  • 我们星期三去看电影吧。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xīngqīsān qù kàn diànyǐng ba.
  • English: Let's go watch a movie on Wednesday.
  • Analysis: The particle 吧 (ba) at the end softens the tone and turns the statement into a suggestion. The time (星期三) comes before the verb phrase (去看电影).
• Example 4:
  • 上个星期我去了上海。
  • Pinyin: Shàng ge xīngqī wǒ qùle Shànghǎi.
  • English: I went to Shanghai last week.
  • Analysis: 上个 (shàng ge) means “last” or “previous” when referring to time periods like weeks or months. The particle 了 (le) indicates the completion of the action.
• Example 5:
  • 下个星期是我的生日。
  • Pinyin: Xià ge xīngqī shì wǒ de shēngrì.
  • English: Next week is my birthday.
  • Analysis: Similar to the previous example, 下个 (xià ge) means “next.” This sentence follows a simple “A is B” structure.
• Example 6:
  • 你最喜欢星期几？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zuì xǐhuān xīngqī jǐ?
  • English: Which day of the week do you like the most?
  • Analysis: Here, 星期几 (xīngqī jǐ) acts as a noun phrase meaning “which day of the week.” It's the object of the verb 喜欢 (xǐhuān - to like).
• Example 7:
  • 我每个星期天都去公园。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měi ge xīngqītiān dōu qù gōngyuán.
  • English: I go to the park every Sunday.
  • Analysis: The structure 每 (měi)… 都 (dōu) is used for “every.” The 都 is crucial and emphasizes the inclusivity of “every single Sunday.”
• Example 8:
  • 一个星期有七天。
  • Pinyin: Yī ge xīngqī yǒu qī tiān.
  • English: One week has seven days.
  • Analysis: A straightforward sentence demonstrating the use of the measure word 个 (ge) with 星期.
• Example 9:
  • 这家店星期日不开门。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā diàn xīngqīrì bù kāimén.
  • English: This store does not open on Sundays.
  • Analysis: This example uses the more formal 星期日 (xīngqīrì), which you might see on a sign in the store's window.
• Example 10:
  • 他一个星期工作五天，从星期一到星期五。
  • Pinyin: Tā yī ge xīngqī gōngzuò wǔ tiān, cóng xīngqīyī dào xīngqīwǔ.
  • English: He works five days a week, from Monday to Friday.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the useful structure 从…到… (cóng…dào…), which means “from…to…”.

• Common Mistake: Saying “星期七” for Sunday.
  • A very common error for beginners is to continue the numerical pattern and say 星期七 (xīngqī qī) for Sunday. This is incorrect. Always use 星期天 (xīngqītiān) in conversation or 星期日 (xīngqīrì) in writing.
• 星期 (xīngqī) vs. 周 (zhōu) vs. 礼拜 (lǐbài)
  • While 星期 is the most standard term, you will frequently encounter two others:
    • 周 (zhōu): Also means “week” and is very common, especially in writing. Days can be written as 周一, 周二, etc. It feels slightly more concise and is used to form the word for “weekend,” 周末 (zhōumò). For a beginner, 星期 is the safest and most versatile choice.
    • 礼拜 (lǐbài): This term literally means “worship.” It originated from the Christian practice of Sunday worship and came to mean “week.” It's more colloquial and is used more often in southern China and Taiwan, or by older generations. It's good to recognize but not essential to use as a beginner. Example: 礼拜一 (lǐbàiyī) = Monday.

• 周 (zhōu) - A very common synonym for “week,” often used in writing (e.g., 周一) and to form the word “weekend.”
• 周末 (zhōumò) - Weekend. Literally “week's end.” This word is formed with 周, not 星期.
• 礼拜 (lǐbài) - A more colloquial or regional term for “week,” with religious origins.
• 天 (tiān) - Day; sky. The character used in the most common word for Sunday, 星期天.
• 日 (rì) - Day; sun. The more formal character for “day,” used in 星期日 and in writing dates.
• 上个星期 (shàng ge xīngqī) - Last week.
• 下个星期 (xià ge xīngqī) - Next week.
• 这个星期 (zhè ge xīngqī) - This week.
• 月 (yuè) - Month. Used for dates, e.g., 五月 (wǔyuè) is May.
• 年 (nián) - Year. Used for dates, e.g., 二零二四年 (èr líng èr sì nián) is the year 2024.