电影
8 hours ago
Today I wanted to quickly go over the days of the week in Mandarin Chinese. So, if you have been following this blog, you will already know the Chinese numbering system, and this is crucial in the logical system that the Chinese use for names of their days.
Weekdays
So here goes, the first day of the Chinese week: (Monday) is called 星期一 (xīng qī yī) which is literally "star period 1". (bearing in mind months and weeks are historically based on the moons movements) or "small amount of time 1".
星期一
xīng qī yī
Monday
xīng qī yī
Monday
The following days of the week are surprisingly easy and make perfect sense following the numbers starting on Monday, through our usual week.
星期二
xīng qī èr
Tuesday
星期三
xīng qī sān
Wednesday
星期四
xīng qī sì
Thursday
星期五
xīng qī wǔ
Friday
星期六
xīng qī liù
Saturday
星期天 / 禮拜天
xīng qī tiān / lǐ bài tiān
Sunday
xīng qī èr
Tuesday
星期三
xīng qī sān
Wednesday
星期四
xīng qī sì
Thursday
星期五
xīng qī wǔ
Friday
星期六
xīng qī liù
Saturday
星期天 / 禮拜天
xīng qī tiān / lǐ bài tiān
Sunday
This sytem follows the whole way through to Sunday, where I am told, whilst 星期天 (xīng qī tiān) is the formal way to say Sunday. However 禮拜天 (lǐ bài tiān) is literally: worship day.
Common Phrases: Days
天
tiān
day
今天
jīn tiān
today
昨天
zuó tiān
yesterday
明天
míng tiān
tomorrow
每天
měi tiān
everyday
有天
yǒu tiān
someday
tiān
day
今天
jīn tiān
today
昨天
zuó tiān
yesterday
明天
míng tiān
tomorrow
每天
měi tiān
everyday
有天
yǒu tiān
someday
Sentences that may be useful:
那一天是什么？
nǎ yītiān shì shénme?
What day is it?
今天是星期二
jīntiān shì xīngqī'èr
Today is Tuesday
昨天是星期一
zuótiān shì xīngqīyī
Yesterday was Monday
今天我去商店
jīntiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Today I went to the shop
昨天我去商店
zuótiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Yesterday I went to the shop
每天我去商店
měitiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Everyday I go to the shop
星期一我会去商店
xīngqīyī wǒ huì qù shāngdiàn
Monday I will go to the shop
明天我会去商店
míngtiān wǒ huì qù shāngdiàn
Tomorrow I will go to the shop
上周五我去商店
shàng zhōuwǔ wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Last Friday I went to the shop
明天永远不会来
míngtiān yǒngyuǎn bùhuì lái
Tomorrow Never Comes
明天永远不会死的
míngtiān yǒngyuǎn bùhuì sǐ de
Tomorrow Never Dies
昨天，所有烦恼似乎已经离我远去。
zuótiān, suǒyǒu fánnǎo sìhū yǐjīng lí wǒ yuǎn qù
Yesterday, All my troubles seemed so far away
nǎ yītiān shì shénme?
What day is it?
今天是星期二
jīntiān shì xīngqī'èr
Today is Tuesday
昨天是星期一
zuótiān shì xīngqīyī
Yesterday was Monday
今天我去商店
jīntiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Today I went to the shop
昨天我去商店
zuótiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Yesterday I went to the shop
每天我去商店
měitiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Everyday I go to the shop
星期一我会去商店
xīngqīyī wǒ huì qù shāngdiàn
Monday I will go to the shop
明天我会去商店
míngtiān wǒ huì qù shāngdiàn
Tomorrow I will go to the shop
上周五我去商店
shàng zhōuwǔ wǒ qù shāngdiàn
Last Friday I went to the shop
明天永远不会来
míngtiān yǒngyuǎn bùhuì lái
Tomorrow Never Comes
明天永远不会死的
míngtiān yǒngyuǎn bùhuì sǐ de
Tomorrow Never Dies
昨天，所有烦恼似乎已经离我远去。
zuótiān, suǒyǒu fánnǎo sìhū yǐjīng lí wǒ yuǎn qù
Yesterday, All my troubles seemed so far away
I hope this makes clear the Days in Mandarin, and some of the uses and application. I will make weeks and months one of the next few posts.
Charlie
Yesterday Lyric Translation
This is an often quoted proverb yet often one of the most overlooked in diplomacy and forieng policy around the World. When Western countries think they are helping in Africa etc. Charities give away wells, factories, grain, farms or schools (the fish) but don't teach the people that need to use them day-to-day the wisdom and the knowledge they require to maintain these services or products.
Unless he doesn't like sushi—then you also have to teach him to cook.
除非他不喜欢寿司，那么你也教他做饭。
chúfēi tā bù xǐhuan shòusī nàme nǐ yě jiāo tā zuòfàn.
Auren Hoffman, Herald PhilosopherFeed a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
养活你人鱼饲料他一天。教人捕鱼，你养活他一辈子。
yǎnghuo nǐ rén yú sìliào tā yītiān。 jiāo rén bǔyú nǐ yǎnghuo tā yībèizi.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
养活你人鱼饲料他一天。教人捕鱼，你养活他一辈子。
yǎnghuo nǐ rén yú sìliào tā yītiān。 jiāo rén bǔyú nǐ yǎnghuo tā yībèizi.
Unknown Author (although commonly misattributed to Confucius)
Unless he doesn't like sushi—then you also have to teach him to cook.
除非他不喜欢寿司，那么你也教他做饭。
chúfēi tā bù xǐhuan shòusī nàme nǐ yě jiāo tā zuòfàn.
I must add that these are the first translations that I have attempted, using a translator for only the words that I didnt know, but me putting together the entire sentences. Apologies if they are wrong, and I welcome any corrections. I also couldnt find any other record of this latter quotation in Mandarin already (though I am sure it must have been).
Photo Source:
Flickr
