jīntiān
everyday
In pinyin "today" is jīntiān (今天). The formal written word is jīnrì (今日).
Meaning: today (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| jīntiān | everyday |
| jīnrì | formal, written |
Time words come early in the Chinese sentence, so you say Jīntiān wǒ yǒu kè ("Today I have class") rather than putting it at the end.
What does it mean word for word?
Jīn (今) means "now, this" and tiān (天) means "day". The matching words are zuótiān for yesterday and míngtiān for tomorrow.
Did you know?
- Jīntiān (今天) is built from jīn (今) and tiān (天), which gives the same pattern as míngtiān for tomorrow.
Examples in context
- Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.The weather is nice today.
- Jīntiān wǒ yǒu kè.I have class today.
- Jīntiān shì xīngqī jǐ?What day is it today?
Example conversation
Colleagues Bing and Yu chat at the start of the day in Beijing.
- BingJīntiān nǐ máng ma?Are you busy today?
- YuJīntiān hěn máng.I am very busy today.
- BingMíngtiān ne?And tomorrow?
- YuMíngtiān bù máng.Tomorrow I am not busy.
