星期一
sing¹ kei⁴ jat¹
Monday in Cantonese is 星期一. If unsure, use 星期一 (sing¹ kei⁴ jat¹). Wiktionary also lists 禮拜一 / 礼拜一 (lai⁵ baai³ jat¹) and 周一 (zau¹ jat¹).
Meaning: day of the week (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 星期一 | sing¹ kei⁴ jat¹ |
| 禮拜一 / 礼拜一 | lai⁵ baai³ jat¹ |
| 周一 | zau¹ jat¹ |
All provided forms are used to refer to the day of the week, Monday.
What does it mean word for word?
The form 星期一 literally means "week one", consisting of 星期 (week) and 一 (one). The form 禮拜一 literally means "worship one", composed of 禮拜 (worship/service) and 一 (one).
Which one should you use?
星期一 is the standard way to refer to Monday. 禮拜一 is a more colloquial alternative used frequently in daily conversation. 周一 is a form primarily used in formal written Chinese or news reports rather than in spoken Cantonese.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing that something happens on Monday, you do not need to use a preposition like "on" before the day of the week. The day can be used directly in the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
sing¹ kei⁴ jat¹
Did you know?
- The word 星期 was originally coined to translate the Western concept of a seven-day week, as traditional Chinese calendars focused more on lunar cycles and the ten-day 旬.
- The term 星期 (sing kei) literally translates to 'star period', because the days of the week were historically tied to the movements of the celestial bodies.
- The colloquial term 禮拜一 stems from the influence of Christian missions in China, where 禮拜 referred to the act of worshiping or attending church services.
Examples in context
- 星期一截止報名。Applications are due by Monday.This sentence shows how to use 星期一 to indicate a deadline.Tatoeba #5949218 by nickyeow, translation #4529648 by CK
- 我星期一教你吖。I'll teach you how to do that on Monday.This sentence shows how 星期一 can be used to specify a day for an action.Tatoeba #9536282 by nickyeow, translation #9501265 by CK
- 星期一應該會好熱。Monday will likely be a hot day.This sentence shows how 星期一 is used to describe the weather on a specific day.Tatoeba #6944760 by nickyeow, translation #6256589 by CK
- 呢個會議嘅日期係星期一The meeting is scheduled for Monday.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking about their upcoming schedule.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你星期一有冇時間？nei5 sing1 kei4 jat1 jau5 mou5 si4 gaan3?Do you have time on Monday?
- 俊傑 Chun Kit星期一我好忙呀。sing1 kei4 jat1 ngo5 hou2 mong4 aa3.I am very busy on Monday.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan咁星期二得唔得？gam2 sing1 kei4 ji6 dak1 m4 dak1?Then is Tuesday okay?
- 俊傑 Chun Kit星期二可以呀。sing1 kei4 ji6 ho2 ji5 aa3.Tuesday works.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Monday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
