星期三
xīngqīsān
Wednesday in Chinese is 星期三 (xīngqīsān). Wiktionary also lists 禮拜三 / 礼拜三 (lǐbàisān) and 週三 / 周三 (zhōusān).
Meaning: day of the week (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 星期三 | xīngqīsān |
| 禮拜三 / 礼拜三 | lǐbàisān |
| 週三 / 周三 | zhōusān |
What does it mean word for word?
The term 星期三 is composed of 星期 (week) and 三 (three), literally meaning 'week three'.
Which one should you use?
While all three forms mean Wednesday, 星期三 is the standard/neutral term, 礼拜三 is more colloquial and 周三 is more formal or concise.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The formal way to say Wednesday in Mandarin Chinese is 星期三 (xīngqīsān). 周三 (zhōusān) is an informal way to say Wednesday used in day-to-day conversations, while 礼拜三 (lǐbàisān) is a more colloquial way to say Wednesday compared to the standard 星期三.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression 礼拜三 / 禮拜三 is more commonly used in southern China and Taiwan.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, you do not need a preposition like 'on' before the day of the week. You can place the day directly before the verb or as a time adverbial.
How do you pronounce it?
xīngqīsān
Did you know?
- While 星期 translates to 'week', the literal meaning of the characters is 'star period'. This reflects the ancient astronomical influence on how time was measured.
- The word 礼拜 in 礼拜三 originally refers to 'worship' or 'religious service'. This term was adopted into the calendar system via Christian missionaries to translate the concept of a week.
- In Chinese, Sunday is not the first day of the week. While Wednesday is the third day (三), Sunday is the only day of the week that does not use a number, using 星期日 or 星期天 instead.
Examples in context
- 星期三在嗎？Will you be here on Wednesday?This sentence is useful for asking if someone will be present on 星期三.Tatoeba #6486897 by xjjAstrus, translation #6534842 by kayano
- 星期三下午我在。I will be here Wednesday afternoon.This sentence is useful for stating your availability on 星期三 afternoon.Tatoeba #6486896 by xjjAstrus, translation #6534838 by kayano
- 我不知道今天是星期二還是星期三。I don't know if today is Tuesday or Wednesday.This sentence is useful for expressing uncertainty between two different days, using 星期三.Tatoeba #4189395 by egg0073, translation #5574922 by n1ls
- 明天是周三，我们去看电影吧。Tomorrow is Wednesday, let's go watch a movie.
- 礼拜三晚上有时间吗？Do you have time on Wednesday evening?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are making plans for a movie.
- 俊杰 Junjie妳星期三有空嗎？Nǐ xīngqīsān yǒu kòng ma?Are you free on Wednesday?
- 梓涵 Zihan我星期三可以。Wǒ xīngqīsān kěyǐ.I can make it on Wednesday.
- 俊杰 Junjie那我們星期三去看電影吧。Nà wǒmen xīngqīsān qù kàn diànyǐng ba.Then let's go see a movie on Wednesday.
- 梓涵 Zihan好啊，沒問題。Hǎo a, méi wèntí.Okay, no problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Wednesday” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
