星期
xīngqī/ɕiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/
The English phrase "weeks" is translated into Chinese as 星期 (xīngqī).
The plural form of the seven-day period used as a unit of time.
Which one should you use?
While 星期 is the standard term, 周 is a more formal or concise way to say "week" often used in written or professional contexts. 礼拜 is a common colloquial alternative for 'week'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, the plural sense of "weeks" is typically expressed by adding a measure word like 个 (gè) and a number before 星期.
How do you pronounce it?
xīngqī
Did you know?
- In Chinese, you don't use a separate word for 'Monday' or 'Tuesday'. You simply say 星期 followed by a number, such as 星期一 for 'week one'.
- The alternative word 礼拜 originally meant 'to worship' or 'kowtow'. It entered the Chinese language via Christian missionaries to translate the concept of a 'Sabbath' or 'day of worship'.
- The term 星期 literally means 'star period'. It reflects the ancient practice of naming the days of the week after the 'seven luminaries', which are the sun, moon and the five visible planets.
Examples in context
- 我去英國玩兩個星期。I went to England for two weeks to hang out and see the sights.This sentence is useful for expressing the duration of a trip using 星期.Tatoeba #6038847 by xjjAstrus, translation #10055074 by austininchina
- 三星期过去了，没有Tom一点消息Three weeks went by with no sign of Tom.This sentence is useful for describing the passage of time using 星期.Tatoeba #5973399 by zhangxr91, translation #4630438 by Amastan
- 如果你想聽恐怖故事，那我就把幾個星期前作的夢告訴你吧。If you want to hear a scary story, I'll tell you about a dream I had a few weeks ago.This sentence is useful for referring to a time in the past using 星期.Tatoeba #13119724 by LeviHighway, translation #473877 by blay_paul
- 星期一 (xīngqī yī)Monday
- 星期二 (xīngqī èr)Tuesday
- 星期三 (xīngqī sān)Wednesday
- 礼拜四 (lǐbài sì)Thursday
- 礼拜五 (lǐbài wǔ)Friday
- 礼拜六 (lǐbài liù)Saturday
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi and Wei are discussing a vacation plan.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我们要去旅行几个星期？Wǒmen yào qù lǚxíng jǐ gè xīngqī?How many weeks are we going to travel for?
- 伟 Wei大概三个星期吧。Dàgài sān gè xīngqī ba.About three weeks, I think.
- 佳怡 Jiayi三个星期太长了。Sān gè xīngqī tài cháng le.Three weeks is too long.
- 伟 Wei那我们就缩减到两个星期。Nà wǒmen jiù suōjiǎn dào liǎng gè xīngqī.Then let's reduce it to two weeks.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 星期, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
