Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 星期天 | xīngqītiān | informal |
| 星期日 | xīngqīrì | formal |
| 禮拜日 / 礼拜日 | lǐbàirì | |
| 禮拜天 / 礼拜天 | lǐbàitiān | colloquial |
| 礼拜天 | lǐbàitiān | |
| 周日 | zhōurì |
All the forms provided refer to the day of the week: Sunday.
What does it mean word for word?
In the informal form 星期天, the character 天 literally means 'day' or 'sky'. In the formal form 星期日, the character 日 literally means 'sun' or 'day'.
Which one should you use?
星期天 is used in spoken, informal contexts, while 星期日 is preferred in written or formal contexts. The term 礼拜天 is a colloquial way to refer to Sunday, often used in religious contexts or in certain regional dialects.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
星期日 is the formal way to say Sunday. 星期天 is informal, and 礼拜天 is considered colloquial. 礼拜日 can serve as an informal expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, Chinese does not require a preposition like 'on' before the word for Sunday. You can simply say 'Sunday I rest' instead of 'On Sunday I rest'.
How do you pronounce it?
xīngqītiān
Did you know?
- The term 星期 (xīngqī) itself comes from a way of counting 'stars' or 'celestial bodies', reflecting an ancient connection between the days and the cosmos.
- The term 礼拜 used in 礼拜天 originally means 'worship' or 'to pray'. This reflects the influence of early Christian missionaries who introduced the concept of a seven-day week to China.
- The character 周 (zhōu) used in 周日 is the same character used to denote a full 'cycle' or 'circumference'.
Examples in context
- 周日我休息。I rest on Sunday.This sentence is useful for stating your rest schedule using 周日.Tatoeba #4764667 by ryanwoo, translation #4754195 by coolazice
- 明天是星期天。It is Sunday tomorrow.This sentence is useful for identifying tomorrow's date using 星期天.Tatoeba #409409 by GlossaMatik, translation #323310 by CK
- 周日我去做礼拜。I go to church on Sunday.This sentence is useful for describing religious activities using 周日.Tatoeba #4764638 by ryanwoo, translation #259857 by CK
- 今天是周日，我们去公园吧Today is Sunday, let's go to the park, shall we?
- 星期日是休息日Sunday is a day of rest
- 81 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and ZiHan are planning their weekend activity.
- 伟 Wei星期天你有空吗？Xīngqītiān nǐ yǒu kòng ma?Are you free this Sunday?
- 梓涵 Zihan我有空，有什么事吗？Wǒ yǒu kòng, yǒu shénme shì ma?I am free, what's up?
- 伟 Wei我们星期天去爬山吧。Wǒmen xīngqītiān qù páshān ba.Let's go hiking this Sunday.
- 梓涵 Zihan好啊，我也想去。Hǎo a, wǒ yě xiǎng qù.Okay, I want to go too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Sunday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
