HSK 3 · Article · 187 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-the-date-in-chinese

五号四月？

How to say the date in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

今天jīntiān是shì几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào？用yòng中文zhōngwén说shuō日期rìqī，很hěn容易róngyì。

一yì年nián有yǒu十二shí’èr个gè月yuè：一yī月yuè、二月èryuè、三月sānyuè，一直yìzhí到dào十二月shí’èryuè。

说shuō日期rìqī，大dà的de在zài前qián，小xiǎo的de在zài后hòu：先xiān说shuō年nián，再说zàishuō月yuè，最后zuìhòu说shuō号hào。

写xiě的de时候shíhou，常常chángcháng用yòng“日rì”：十月shíyuè六liù日rì。说话shuōhuà的de时候shíhou，常常chángcháng说shuō“号hào”：十月六号。

汤姆tāngmǔ是shì英国人yīngguórén，在zài北京běijīng学xué中文zhōngwén。

他tā对duì中国zhōngguó朋友péngyǒu乐乐lèlè说shuō：“我wǒ的de生日shēngrì是shì五wǔ号hào四月sìyuè，你nǐ来lái我家wǒjiā吃chī蛋糕dàngāo吧ba！”

乐乐lèlè问wèn：“五月wǔyuè四sì号hào？”汤姆tāngmǔ说shuō：“对duì，对duì！”

五月wǔyuè四sì号hào，乐乐lèlè拿ná着zhe蛋糕dàngāo来lái了le。“生日快乐shēngrì-kuàilè！”

汤姆tāngmǔ看kàn着zhe蛋糕dàngāo，不bù说话shuōhuà。

他tā的de生日shēngrì是shì四月sìyuè五wǔ号hào，上个月shànggèyuè就jiù过guò了le。

汤姆tāngmǔ笑xiào了le：“谢谢xièxie你nǐ！”“今年jīnnián我wǒ有yǒu两liǎng个gè生日shēngrì了le！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
生日	shēngrì	birthday
拿	ná	to take; to hold; to carry
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
容易	róngyì	easy
一直	yìzhí	always; all along; continuously
先	xiān	first; in advance
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final
常常	chángcháng	often; frequently
用	yòng	to use; use; usefulness
蛋糕	dàngāo	cake
日期	rìqī	date

What’s the date today? Saying the date in Chinese is easy.

A year has twelve months: month one (January), month two, month three, all the way to month twelve.

With dates, the big part comes first and the small part last: first the year, then the month, and the day at the end.

In writing, the day is usually 日: 十月六日, the sixth of October. When speaking, people usually say 号: 十月六号.

Tom is from the UK and studies Chinese in Beijing.

He tells his Chinese friend Lele, “My birthday is five, April. Come to my place for cake!”

Lele asks, “The fourth of May?” Tom says, “Yes, yes!”

On the fourth of May, Lele turns up with a cake. “Happy birthday!”

Tom looks at the cake and says nothing.

His birthday was the fifth of April. It was last month.

Tom laughs. “Thank you!” “This year I get two birthdays!”