Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 天 | tiān | /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰi̯ɑɻ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA, 天兒 / 天儿) |
|
| 日 | ji̍t, li̍t | /lit̚⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Taipei, Tainan, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Philippines, Klang, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Yongchun, Longyan) /lit̚³⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Taipei, Tainan, Lukang, Kinmen, Singapore, Philippines, Klang, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Yongchun, Longyan) |
Hokkien |
| 工 | kang | /kɔŋ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /kɔŋ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The word 天 refers to a 24-hour period. Depending on the context and the characters accompanying it, it can also mean 'sky' or 'weather'. It is a central component in many time-related words: combining it with 今 (now) creates 'today' (今天), combining it with 昨 creates 'yesterday' (昨天) and combining it with 明 (bright) creates 'tomorrow' (明天).
Which one should you use?
While 天 can mean a 24-hour period, it is also used to mean 'sky' or 'weather' depending on the context and accompanying characters.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern China, you may hear the informal term 日子儿 (rìzir) used to mean 'day'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express a specific duration of time, such as 'three days', you use 天 directly after a number (e.g., 三天) without needing an additional measure word.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as tiān.
Did you know?
- The character 天 originally depicted a person 人 with a large head, symbolizing the 'highest' part of the universe, or the sky.
- In ancient Chinese writing, a dot or line was added to the center of the sun pictogram 日 specifically to prevent it from being mistaken for the character 口, which means 'mouth'.
- While 天 is used for counting days, the character 日 is used in formal writing and calendars. This creates a distinction between a 'duration' and a 'date'.
Examples in context
- 昨天星期幾？Yesterday was what day of the week?This sentence is useful for asking about the day of the week using 天.Tatoeba #5390925 by xjjAstrus, translation #5573371 by n1ls
- 这天会到来。That day shall come.This sentence demonstrates the use of 天 to refer to a specific day.Tatoeba #10260795 by GlossaMatik, translation #44579 by CM
- 明天是晴天。Tomorrow will be a fine day.This sentence shows how 天 can be used in the context of weather (a fine day).Tatoeba #10520473 by xjjAstrus, translation #11662560 by timmartin
- 我喜欢在白天工作，晚上则休息。 (Wǒ xǐhuān zài báitiān gōngzuò, wǎnshàng zé xiūxí.)I prefer working during the day and resting at night.
- 过几天我会去旅行。我期待着那些美好的日子。 (Guò jǐ tiān wǒ huì qù lǚxíng. Wǒ qídài zhe nàxiē měihǎo de rìzi.)I'll go on a trip in a few days. I'm looking forward to those wonderful days.
- 703 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a planned trip.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你想去北京几天？Nǐ xiǎng qù Běijīng jǐ tiān?How many days do you want to go to Beijing?
- 浩然 Haoran我想去三天。Wǒ xiǎng qù sān tiān.I want to go for three days.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen三天时间太短了。Sān tiān shíjiān tài duǎn le.Three days is too short.
- 浩然 Haoran那我们多待一天吧。Nà wǒmen duō dài yī tiān ba.Then let's stay one more day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day” translations and entries 天, 日, 工, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 工, 日, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
