xīngqī'èr
standard
In pinyin "Tuesday" is xīngqī'èr (星期二), literally "week two". Days are counted from Monday as xīngqīyī. It is also called zhōu'èr and lǐbài'èr.
Meaning: the day Tuesday (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| xīngqī'èr | standard |
| zhōu'èr | short |
| lǐbài'èr | casual, some regions |
In shorter speech and writing you will see zhōu'èr (周二). Some speakers say lǐbài'èr (礼拜二) with the same meaning.
What does it mean word for word?
The pattern is xīngqī plus a number, so Monday is one, Tuesday is two and Wednesday is three. Sunday is the exception and is xīngqītiān or xīngqīrì.
Did you know?
- The apostrophe in xīngqī'èr separates the syllables, since èr begins with a vowel and could otherwise blur into the one before it.
Examples in context
- Wǒ xīngqī'èr yǒu kè.I have class on Tuesday.
- Zhōu'èr jiàn!See you Tuesday!
- Jīntiān shì xīngqī'èr.Today is Tuesday.
Example conversation
Dong asks colleague Min to set a time for a meeting at an office in Shanghai.
- DongWǒmen shénme shíhou kāihuì?When do we hold the meeting?
- MinXīngqī'èr zěnmeyàng?How about Tuesday?
- DongXīngqī'èr kěyǐ.Tuesday works.
