Greetings! Learning how to say different days of the week in Chinese is a fantastic way to expand your language skills and connect with Chinese speakers. In this guide, we will explore the various ways to say Thursday in Chinese, both formally and informally. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Formal Ways to Say Thursday in Chinese
When it comes to formal language, there is typically a set vocabulary and structure to follow. In Mandarin Chinese, Thursday is formally referred to as “Xīngqīsì” (星期四). Here’s a breakdown of its pronunciation:
Xīngqīsì (xing-chi-suh)
In the Pinyin pronunciation system, the “X” is pronounced like “sh” in “ship,” while the “q” sounds like “ch” in “church.”
Here’s an example sentence using the formal term:
Lǎoshī huì yū èrshí yīrì qǐchuáng (老师会于二十一日起床。) – The teacher gets up on Thursday the 21st.
Notice that in Chinese, the date usually precedes the day of the week in the formal structure.
Informal Ways to Say Thursday in Chinese
Informal or colloquial language often reflects the day-to-day speech and regional variations. While “Xīngqīsì” is widely used across China, regional variations exist with slight differences in pronunciation. Here are a few examples:
1. Běipǔhuà (北普话) – Northern Dialect:
In some regions of Northern China, inhabitants prefer to use the word “Běipǔhuà” to refer to Thursday. Here’s the pronunciation breakdown:
Běipǔhuà (bay-pu-hwah)
And here’s an example sentence:
Wǒmen zài Běijīng kàn diànyǐng hēwánměi qǐsī (我们在北京看电影喝完美奇思。) – We watch movies and have a drink on Thursday.
2. Jabānghuà (吉普话) – Cantonese:
Cantonese is another widely spoken language in China, particularly in regions like Hong Kong and Guangdong. In Cantonese, Thursday is known as “Jabānghuà.” Let’s take a look at its pronunciation:
Jabānghuà (ja-bung-wah)
Below is an example sentence:
Ngoh jau leih si Jatsàiyàhn wúng jahmlùhksahm (我要嘢是星期三拜炉部参。) – I have an appointment on Thursday.
Remember, Cantonese uses different characters and pronunciation compared to Mandarin Chinese, so it’s crucial to be aware of these variations.
Additional Tips for Saying Thursday in Chinese
Learning the formal and informal ways to say Thursday in Chinese is a great start, but here are a few additional tips to enhance your knowledge:
- Practice the pronunciation: Take your time to understand and practice the correct pronunciation for each variation.
- Listen to native speakers: Immerse yourself in Chinese language content, such as movies, TV shows, and podcasts, to familiarize yourself with different accent variations.
- Use the right measure words: If you want to mention a specific Thursday, you can use measure words like “gè” (个) or “zhāng” (张) when referring to a calendar or schedule.
Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you immerse yourself in the Chinese language, the more comfortable you’ll become with saying Thursday and other days of the week fluently.
That concludes our guide on how to say Thursday in Chinese. We hope this has been informative and helpful on your language learning journey. Xièxiè (谢谢) – Thank you, and best of luck!
