xiàtiān
everyday
In pinyin "summer" is xiàtiān (夏天), literally "summer day". The formal word is xiàjì (夏季).
Meaning: the season summer (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| xiàtiān | everyday |
| xiàjì | formal, written |
Xiàtiān is what people say in conversation. Xiàjì (夏季) appears in forecasts, reports and names of events like the Xiàjì Àoyùnhuì (夏季奥运会).
What does it mean word for word?
The character xià (夏) means summer by itself. The same pattern gives chūntiān, qiūtiān and dōngtiān for spring, autumn and winter.
Did you know?
- The four seasons in Chinese are chūntiān, xiàtiān, qiūtiān and dōngtiān, all built the same way.
Examples in context
- Xiàtiān hěn rè.Summer is very hot.
- Wǒ xǐhuan xiàtiān.I like summer.
- Xiàtiān wǒmen qù hǎibiān.In summer we go to the seaside.
Example conversation
Two friends, Mu and Lei, talk about the season on a hot afternoon in Wuhan.
- MuJīntiān zhēn rè.Today is really hot.
- LeiXiàtiān dōu zhèyàng.Summer is always like this.
- MuWomen qù chī bīngjīlíng ba.Let's go eat ice cream.
