HSK 1 · Article · 218 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-months-and-years-in-chinese

一月还是一个月？

How to say months and years in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中文zhōngwén的de十二shí’èr个gè月yuè，一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě不bù难nán：一yī月yuè、二月èryuè、三月sānyuè……十二月shí’èryuè。一yī月yuè是shì一yì年nián的de第一dìyī个gè月yuè，十二月shí’èryuè是shì第十二dìshí’èr个gè月yuè。

年nián呢ne？读dú的de时候shíhou，一yí个gè字zì一yí个gè字zì读dú。二〇二〇年èrlíng’èrlíngnián，我们wǒmen说shuō“二零二零年èrlíng’èrlíngnián”。

我们wǒmen也yě常cháng说shuō：去年qùnián、今年jīnnián、明年míngnián。

有yǒu一yí个gè字zì要yào多duō看看kànkan：“个gè”。“一yī月yuè”说shuō的de是shì哪个nǎge月yuè，“一个yígè月yuè”说shuō的de是shì多duō长cháng时间shíjiān。还有háiyǒu，我们wǒmen说shuō“两liǎng个gè月yuè”，不bù说shuō“二èr个gè月yuè”。

十月shíyuè，我wǒ对duì严yán老师lǎoshī说shuō：“老师lǎoshī，我wǒ想xiǎng去qù北京běijīng一yī月yuè。”

严yán老师lǎoshī说shuō：“一yī月yuè？一yī月yuè北京běijīng很hěn冷lěng，你nǐ要yào多duō穿chuān衣服yīfu！”

我wǒ说shuō：“不是búshì一yī月yuè！我wǒ十一月shíyīyuè就jiù去qù！”

严yán老师lǎoshī笑xiào了le：“哦ò，你nǐ想xiǎng说shuō‘去qù北京běijīng一个yígè月yuè’！”

现在xiànzài我wǒ会huì说shuō了le：我wǒ十一月shíyīyuè去qù北京běijīng，在zài北京běijīng住zhù一个yígè月yuè。

严yán老师lǎoshī说shuō：“很hěn好hǎo。十一月shíyīyuè北京běijīng也yě很hěn冷lěng，多duō穿chuān衣服yīfu！”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中文zhōngwénChinese (language)
月yuèmoon
年niányear
读dúto read; to read aloud
字zìcharacter; written word
说shuōto speak; to say
去年qùniánlast year
今年jīnniánthis year
明年míngniánnext year
哪个nǎgewhich; which one
时间shíjiāntime (a point in time or an amount of time)
老师lǎoshīteacher

English (for the teacher)

The twelve months in Chinese aren't hard at all: 一月, 二月, 三月... all the way to 十二月. 一月, January, is the first month of the year, and 十二月, December, is the twelfth.

What about years? We read them one character at a time. 二〇二〇年, 2020, we say as 二零二零年.

We also often say 去年, 今年 and 明年: last year, this year and next year.

There is one character to look at carefully: 个. 一月 says which month; 一个月 says how long. And we say 两个月 for two months, never 二个月.

In October, I said to Teacher Yan, 'Teacher, I want to go to Beijing January.'

Teacher Yan said, 'January? Beijing is very cold in January, you'll need lots of warm clothes!'

I said, 'Not January! I'm going in November!'

Teacher Yan laughed: 'Oh, you mean 去北京一个月, go to Beijing for one month!'

Now I can say it: I'm going to Beijing in November, and staying in Beijing for one month.

Teacher Yan said, 'Very good. Beijing is cold in November too. Wear lots of warm clothes!'