Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今天 | /t͡ɕin⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡ɕin⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, colloquial, Sinological IPA) |
||
| 今日 | jīnrì | /t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ɻ̩⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /kɐm⁵⁵ jɐt̚²/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 今兒 / 今儿 | jīnr | ||
| 今仔日 | kin-á-ji̍t/kin-á-li̍t | /kin⁴⁴⁻³³ a⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lit̚⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Jinjiang, Philippines, Sinological IPA) /kin³³ a⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lit̚²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Jinjiang, Philippines, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 今兒個 / 今儿个 | jīnrgè | dialectal |
The term refers to the current day and can function as an adverb meaning 'on this day' or as a noun referring to the date itself.
What does it mean word for word?
今天 is composed of 今, meaning 'now' or 'current' and 天, meaning 'day'.
Which one should you use?
While 今天 is the standard way to say 'today', 今日 is a more formal or literary alternative. The dialectal form 今儿个 is also used in certain contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
今天 is the most common way to say 'today' in Mandarin Chinese. 今日 is used for a more formal or literary tone, while 今儿 is a colloquial, northern-style way to express the same meaning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern China, the colloquial form 今儿 is commonly used. For Dungan speakers, forms such as җинтян, җир, җиргә, җер or җергә may be used. For Hokkien speakers, 今仔日 is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In a sentence, 今天 can function as both a noun (referring to the date) and an adverb (meaning 'on this day').
How do you pronounce it?
/tɕin⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
Did you know?
- The Dungan language uses forms like җинтян because it is a variety of Chinese spoken in Central Asia using the Cyrillic alphabet. It preserves the sounds of old Mandarin while using a script associated with Russian.
- The word 天 not only means 'day' but also 'sky' and 'heaven'. Therefore, 今天 literally describes the 'current sky' as much as it describes the current date.
- In some traditional contexts, 今日 can refer to a broader 'modern era' rather than just a single 24 hour period. This allows the word to mean 'these days' in literary texts.
Examples in context
- 今天是几号？What's the date today?This example shows how to use 今天 to ask for the date.Tatoeba #408909 by GlossaMatik, translation #408906 by CM
- 今天谁值班？Who's on duty today?This example uses 今天 to ask about someone's duty schedule.Tatoeba #800232 by GlossaMatik, translation #800233 by CM
- 今天好热啊！How hot it is today!This example uses 今天 to comment on the weather.Tatoeba #2358130 by iMaple, translation #242781 by sundown
- 今天是星期一。Today is Monday.
- 今天天气很好。The weather is very nice today.
- 我今天有一个重要的会议。I have an important meeting today.
- 我今儿去购物了。I went shopping today.
- 今日事今日毕。Finish today's tasks today.
- 605 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing their schedules in an office.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你今天有空吗？Nǐ jīntiān yǒu kòng ma?Are you free today?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我今天很忙。Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng.I am very busy today.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那明天可以吗？Nà míngtiān kěyǐ ma?Then is tomorrow okay?
- 志强 Zhiqiang明天可以，没问题。Míngtiān kěyǐ, méi wèntí.Tomorrow is fine, no problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “today” translations and entries 今天, 今日, 今仔日, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
