xīngqīsì: 星期四 - Thursday

• Keywords: Thursday in Chinese, xingqisi, 星期四, how to say Thursday in Mandarin, days of the week in Chinese, Chinese calendar, Zhou Si, 周四, learn Chinese days.
• Summary: Learn how to say and use “Thursday” in Chinese with the term 星期四 (xīngqīsì). This page breaks down the simple, logical structure of the Chinese days of the week, where Thursday is literally “week four.” Discover its cultural context, practical usage in daily scheduling, and common alternatives like 周四 (zhōusì). Master the term with numerous example sentences and avoid common mistakes to sound like a native.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xīngqīsì
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: Thursday; the fourth day of the week.
• In a Nutshell: 星期四 (xīngqīsì) is the standard Mandarin Chinese word for Thursday. It is part of a beautifully simple and logical system for naming the days of the week. Unlike English days named after gods (like Thor's Day), Chinese simply counts them. 星期 (xīngqī) means “week,” and 四 (sì) means “four,” so 星期四 literally translates to “week four,” making the entire system easy to learn and remember once you know your numbers.

• 星 (xīng): This character means “star” or “planet.” It originated as a pictograph of a star. In this context, it relates to the ancient astronomical basis for the seven-day week (the sun, moon, and five visible planets).
• 期 (qī): This character means a “period of time” or a “cycle,” such as a school term (学期, xuéqī) or a date.
• 四 (sì): This character simply means the number “four.”

When combined, 星期 (xīngqī) means “week” (literally “star period”). Adding the number 四 (sì) specifies it as the fourth day of that period, which is Thursday.

The modern Chinese system for days of the week, including 星期四, reflects a pragmatic and systematic approach, devoid of the mythological or religious origins found in many Western languages.

• Comparison with “Thursday”: The English “Thursday” is named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. In contrast, 星期四 is purely numerical and descriptive. This highlights a key difference: one system is rooted in ancient mythology, while the modern Chinese system is rooted in logical ordering. This makes the Chinese system incredibly efficient for learners.
• The “Unlucky” Number Four? In Chinese culture, the number four (四, sì) is often considered unlucky because it sounds very similar to the word for “death” (死, sǐ). This is known as tetraphobia. However, this superstition does not apply to the days of the week. 星期四 is a completely neutral term used by everyone without any hesitation or negative feeling. People do not avoid scheduling important events on Thursdays because of the number. This is a crucial distinction for learners to understand—cultural rules are not always applied universally.

星期四 is a high-frequency word used constantly in daily life for planning and scheduling.

• Scheduling: It's used for making appointments, setting deadlines, and planning social events. For example, “Our meeting is on Thursday afternoon.” (我们星期四下午开会。)
• Abbreviations: In both spoken and written Chinese, it's extremely common to abbreviate 星期四 to 周四 (zhōusì). 周 (zhōu) is another word for “week.” This is similar to saying “Thurs” instead of “Thursday” in English, but it's used even more frequently and is considered standard in many contexts.
• Formality: Both 星期四 and 周四 are neutral and can be used in formal and informal situations. 星期四 is perhaps slightly more common in very formal writing, but both are acceptable everywhere.

• Example 1:
  • 今天是星期四。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān shì xīngqīsì.
  • English: Today is Thursday.
  • Analysis: A simple, declarative sentence stating the day of the week. This is one of the first full sentences a beginner will learn.
• Example 2:
  • 我们星期四去看电影，好吗？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xīngqīsì qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo ma?
  • English: Let's go see a movie on Thursday, okay?
  • Analysis: This shows how 星期四 is used to propose a plan. The time phrase comes after the subject (我们) and before the verb phrase (去看电影).
• Example 3:
  • 他上星期四给我打了电话。
  • Pinyin: Tā shàng xīngqīsì gěi wǒ dǎ le diànhuà.
  • English: He called me last Thursday.
  • Analysis: The word 上 (shàng) means “last” or “previous” when placed before a day of the week. Similarly, 下 (xià) would mean “next.”
• Example 4:
  • 你的中文课是星期四的吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de Zhōngwén kè shì xīngqīsì de ma?
  • English: Is your Chinese class on Thursdays?
  • Analysis: A common question format for asking about recurring events. The 的 (de) here turns “on Thursday” into a descriptor for the class.
• Example 5:
  • 我每个星期四下午都有会。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měi ge xīngqīsì xiàwǔ dōu yǒu huì.
  • English: I have a meeting every Thursday afternoon.
  • Analysis: The structure “每个…都…” (měi ge… dōu…) is used to express “every.” It's a very useful pattern for talking about routines.
• Example 6:
  • 别忘了，报告星期四之前必须交。
  • Pinyin: Bié wàng le, bàogào xīngqīsì zhīqián bìxū jiāo.
  • English: Don't forget, the report must be submitted before Thursday.
  • Analysis: This example shows how to use 星期四 as a deadline marker with the word 之前 (zhīqián), meaning “before.”
• Example 7: (Using the common abbreviation)
  • 我周四比较忙，我们周五见吧。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhōusì bǐjiào máng, wǒmen zhōuwǔ jiàn ba.
  • English: I'm relatively busy on Thursday, let's meet on Friday.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the natural use of the abbreviation 周四 (zhōusì) in everyday conversation.
• Example 8:
  • 从星期四开始，天气会变冷。
  • Pinyin: Cóng xīngqīsì kāishǐ, tiānqì huì biàn lěng.
  • English: Starting from Thursday, the weather will turn cold.
  • Analysis: Shows how to use a day of the week as a starting point for an event or change, using the pattern “从…开始” (cóng… kāishǐ).
• Example 9:
  • 这家餐厅星期四有特价菜。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng xīngqīsì yǒu tèjiàcài.
  • English: This restaurant has special dishes on Thursdays.
  • Analysis: A practical example you might see on a sign or hear in a conversation about dining out.
• Example 10:
  • 我需要预订星期四晚上七点的座位。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào yùdìng xīngqīsì wǎnshang qī diǎn de zuòwèi.
  • English: I need to book a table for Thursday at 7 PM.
  • Analysis: This combines the day, the time of day (晚上, wǎnshang), and a specific hour (七点, qī diǎn), showing how time phrases are stacked in Chinese (from largest unit to smallest).

• Mistake: Forgetting Monday is Day 1. In the Chinese system, Monday is 星期一 (xīngqīyī). English speakers are sometimes used to calendars where Sunday is the first day of the week. Remember, in China, the work week starts on day one.
  • Correct: Monday = 星期一, Tuesday = 星期二, … Saturday = 星期六.
  • Exception: Sunday is not 星期七 (xīngqīqī). It is called 星期天 (xīngqītiān) (week sky) or 星期日 (xīngqīrì) (week sun).
• Nuance: 星期四 vs. 周四 vs. 礼拜四.
  • 星期四 (xīngqīsì): The most standard and universal term, used everywhere in Mainland China.
  • 周四 (zhōusì): An extremely common abbreviation. It is interchangeable with 星期四 in almost all situations, especially in conversation and informal writing.
  • 礼拜四 (lǐbàisì): Literally “worship four.” This term has religious origins and is more common in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and some southern parts of China. While most people in Mainland China will understand it, 星期四 and 周四 are far more common.
• The Number 4 Superstition: As mentioned above, a common mistake is for learners to over-apply the “unlucky number 4” rule. Do not avoid using 星期四. It is a completely normal, neutral word without any negative connotations.

• 星期一 (xīngqīyī) - Monday, the first day of the week.
• 星期二 (xīngqīèr) - Tuesday, the second day of the week.
• 星期三 (xīngqīsān) - Wednesday, the third day of the week.
• 星期五 (xīngqīwǔ) - Friday, the fifth day of the week.
• 星期六 (xīngqīliù) - Saturday, the sixth day of the week.
• 星期天 (xīngqītiān) - Sunday, the most common colloquial term for the last day of the week.
• 周四 (zhōusì) - A very common synonym/abbreviation for Thursday.
• 礼拜四 (lǐbàisì) - An alternative, less common (in Mainland) term for Thursday.
• 今天 (jīntiān) - Today; a fundamental time word.
• 明天 (míngtiān) - Tomorrow; often used in planning with days of the week.
• 昨天 (zuótiān) - Yesterday; used for talking about past events.