Bài 07 - Năm, tháng, ngày

Written by Administrator on 19 October 2008.

Learn how to say the date in mandarin chinese.
Vocabulary : days of the week, months of the year, What day (date) is it today?

Conversation 1 : What day is today?

-	Jīntiān 今天 jǐ 几 yuè 月 jǐ 几 hào? 号

-	Jīntiān 今天 5 yuè 5月 23 hào. 23号

-	Míngtiān 明天 xīngqī 星期 jǐ? 几

-	Míngtiān 明天 xīngqīliù. 星期六

今天	jīntiān	(n)	today
几	jǐ	(pro)	how many
月	yuè	(n)	month, moon
号	hào	(n)	number, date
5月	5 yuè	(n)	May
明天	míngtiān	(n)	tomorrow
星期	xīngqī	(n)	week
星期六	xīngqīliù	(n)	Saturday

Translation

- What day is today?

- It's May the 23rd. ( Today 5th month, 23rd day )

- What day of the week is tomorrow?

- It's Saturday. ( Tomorrow 6th day of the week )

Conversation 2 : What day of the week?

-	5 yuè 5月 25 hào 25号 shì 是 xīngqī 星期 jǐ? 几

-	5 yuè 5月 25 hào 25号 shì 是 xīngqītiān. 星期天

-	Zhè 这 gè 个 yuè 月 8 hào 8号 shì 是 xīngqī 星期 jǐ? 几

-	Zhè 这 gè 个 yuè 月 8 hào 8号 shì 是 xīngqīsì. 星期四

-	Xià 下 gè 个 xīngqīsān 星期三 shì 是 jǐ 几 yuè 月 jǐ 几 hào? 号

-	Xià 下 gè 个 xīngqīsān 星期三 shì 是 5 yuè 5月 28 hào. 28号

星期天	xīngqītiān	(n)	Sunday
星期三	xīngqīsān	(n)	Wednesday
这个月	Zhè gè yùe		this month
下个星期	Xià gè xīngqī		next week

Translation

- What day of the week is the 25th of May?

- The 25th of May is a Sunday.

- What day of the week is the 8th of this month?

- the 8th of this month is a Thursday.

- What's the date of next Wednesday?

- Next Wednesday is May 8th.

Conversation 3 : In which year are we?

-	Jīnnián 今年 shì 是 bú 不 shì 是 2005 nián? 2005年

-	Jīnnián 今年 bú 不 shì 是 2005 nián, 2005年 jīnnián 今年 shì 是

	2006 nián 2006年 qùnián 去年 shì 是 2005 nián. 2005年

年	nián	(n)	Year
今年	jīnnián	(n)	this year
去年	qùnián	(n)	last year
明年	míngnián	(n)	next year

Translation

- Are we in 2005? ( This year is 2005? )

- We aren't in 2005 ( This year is not 2005 ), we are in 2006 ( This year is 2006 ), last year was 2005.

Grammar

Phrase structure

A sentence in which the main element of the predicate is a noun, a nominal construction or a numeral-measure word is called a sentence with nominal predicate. The verb 是 is, as a rule, not used in a sentence of this kind.

Example:

- 今天 5月20号 : Today is May 20th, instead of 今天是5月20号.

- 明天星期三 : Tomorrow is Wednesday, instead of 明天是星期三.

Phrase structure : question

An affirmative-negative question is another form of question which is made by juxtaposing the affirmative and negative forms of the predicative verb or adjective.

Example:

- 今年是不是 1999年？ Are we in 1999?

- 你去不去美国？ Are you going to the USA?

- 你姓不姓张？ Is you family name Zhang?

- 你叫不叫张京生？ Is you name Zhang Jingsheng?

Exercises : Substitution Drills

Exercise 1

-	Jīntiān 今天 jǐ 几 yuè 月 jǐ 几 hào? 号

-	Jīntiān 今天 wǔ yuè 5月 23 hào. 23号

1月	yīyuè	(n)	January
2月	èryuè	(n)	February
3月	sānyuè	(n)	March
12月	shíèryuè	(n)	December

Exercise 2

-	Míngtiān 明天 xīngqī 星期 jǐ ? 几

-	Míngtiān 明天 xīngqīliù. 星期六

昨天	zuótiān	(n)	yesterday
前天	qiángtiān	(n)	the day before yesterday
明天	míngtiān	(n)	tomorrow
后天	hòutiān	(n)	the day after tomorrow

星期一	xīngqīyī	(n)	monday
星期二	xīngqīèr	(n)	tuesday
星期三	xīngqīsān	(n)	wednesday

Exercise 3

-	Xià gè xīngqīsān 下个星期三 shì 是 jǐ yuè 几月 jǐ hào? 几号

-	Xià gè xīngqīsān 下个星期三 shì 是 5 yuè 5月 23 hào? 23号