HSK 1Lesson 8
This lesson gives you the basic words for talking about calendar time. The dialogues keep dates simple and tied to today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
You will learn to ask and answer simple questions about days, dates, years, and weekdays.
Refer to today, yesterday, tomorrow, years, months, dates, and weekdays.
Part 1 · 13 new words
Contains 5 words
today
tomorrow
yesterday
day
Sunday
Contains 3 words
year
next year
Contains 4 words
month
day of the month
Contains 1 word
week; weekday
Part 2 · 11 phrases
今天几号？
What date is it today?
明天十一号。
Tomorrow is the 11th.
昨天九号。
Yesterday was the 9th.
三天
three days
二零二六年
the year 2026
明年二零二七年。
Next year is 2027.
去年二零二五年。
Last year was 2025.
三月二十号
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Two classmates establish today's date and use it to check tomorrow's Chinese class.
美美Meimei
今天几月几号？
What month and date is it today?
方方Fangfang
今天五月十号，星期日。
Today is May 10, Sunday.
美美Meimei
明天有汉语课吗？
Part 4 · 1 point
Dates, clock time, days of the week, and age
Use year/month/day words in order, and 星期xīngqī to say weekdays.
Month-date statement
States a month and date in spoken Chinese.
last year
day of the month; number
Sunday
March 20
五月一日
May 1
今天星期几？
What day of the week is today?
今天星期日。
Today is Sunday.
Is there Chinese class tomorrow?
方方Fangfang
有，明天五月十一号有汉语课。
Yes, there is Chinese class tomorrow, May 11.
Two classmates confirm one learner's plan to study Chinese next year and whether a class is available.
美美Meimei
明年你学习汉语吗？
Will you study Chinese next year?
方方Fangfang
学习，我明年学习汉语。
Yes, I will study Chinese next year.
美美Meimei
明年有汉语课吗？
Will there be Chinese class next year?
方方Fangfang
有，明年有汉语课。
Yes, there will be Chinese class next year.
Two classmates check whether there is Chinese class on Sunday.
美美Meimei
今天星期日吗？
Is today Sunday?
方方Fangfang
是，今天星期日。
Yes, today is Sunday.
美美Meimei
今天有汉语课吗？
Is there Chinese class today?
方方Fangfang
没有，星期天没有汉语课。
No, there is no Chinese class on Sunday.
Two classmates check tomorrow's date and the formal written date form.
美美Meimei
明天几月几号？
What month and date is it tomorrow?
方方Fangfang
明天五月十一号。
Tomorrow is May 11.
美美Meimei
写五月十一日吗？
Should I write May 11 with 日?
方方Fangfang
是，写五月十一日。
Yes, write May 11 with 日.
五月十号wǔ yuè shí hào means May 10. Chinese puts the month before the date.
Weekday statement
States the weekday after the time word.
今天星期日jīntiān xīngqīrì and 今天星期天jīntiān xīngqītiān both mean today is Sunday.
In sentences
Month and date statement
今天五月十号。
Today is May 10.
Use this when you want to state today's month and date.
Weekday statement
今天星期日。
Today is Sunday.
Use this when you want to state the weekday.
五月一日
May 1
今天星期几？
What day of the week is today?
今天星期天。
Today is Sunday.
Chinese dates go from larger to smaller units: 年nián, 月yuè, then 号hào or 日rì. Weekdays use 星期xīngqī plus a number, 日rì, or 天tiān.
