How to Say Year, Month, Date in Mandarin Chinese

Dates in Chinese follow a simple, predictable pattern. The year comes first, followed by the month and date. Each part uses a number and a short word.

If your child already knows the numbers from the Chinese numbers guide, they can learn to say many dates with this short lesson.

The five words you need

号 is very common when saying a date in everyday conversation. 日 is often used in written dates, calendars, and formal contexts. For beginners, learning to say 三月八号 (March 8) is a good starting point.

How to say the year in Chinese

Read each digit of the year separately, then add 年 (nián), meaning “year.” For example, 2026 is 二零二六 (èr líng èr liù), followed by 年. Zero is 零 (líng).

• 1999年 — yī jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ nián
• 2000年 — èr líng líng líng nián
• 2008年 — èr líng líng bā nián
• 2016年 — èr líng yī liù nián
• 2026年 — èr líng èr liù nián

You can write the digits as numbers (2026年) or as characters (二零二六年). Both are normal.

Months in Chinese: number + 月

In Mandarin Chinese, months are numbered. January is 一月 (the first month), February is 二月 (the second month), and December is 十二月 (the twelfth month). Once kids know 1 to 12, they know all twelve months.

Dates in Chinese: number + 号

To say a date in everyday conversation, put 号 after the number. For example, 十五号 (shí wǔ hào) means the 15th day of the month. The numbers 1 to 31 follow the same pattern as all Chinese numbers.

Weekdays in Chinese: 星期 + number

Weekdays use 星期 plus a number, starting with Monday as “week one.”

Sunday is different. Say 星期天 or 星期日, not 星期七. You will also hear 周 and 礼拜 for “week.” Our full days of the week guide explains all three, plus how to count weeks.

Put it all together: full dates

Dates without a year

Dates with a year (and a weekday)

English often puts the year last (Nov 21, 2012). Chinese usually goes in the order year, month, date: 2012年11月21号. The weekday can be added at the end.

Read a Chinese date step by step

Put the parts together: 2026年10月10号，星期六。

Everyday sentences kids can use today

• 今天几月几号？ Jīn tiān jǐ yuè jǐ hào? — What’s the date today?
• 今天十月十号。 Jīn tiān shí yuè shí hào. — Today is October 10.
• 今天星期几？ Jīn tiān xīng qī jǐ? — What day is it today?
• 今天星期六。 Jīn tiān xīng qī liù. — Today is Saturday.
• 你的生日是几月几号？ Nǐ de shēng rì shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào? — When is your birthday?
• 我的生日是三月八号。 Wǒ de shēng rì shì sān yuè bā hào. — My birthday is March 8.
• 八月是我最喜欢的月份。 Bā yuè shì wǒ zuì xǐ huan de yuè fèn. — August is my favorite month.

Looking for birthday phrases? See Happy Birthday in Chinese.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and more

Naming a month vs. counting time

Chinese uses different patterns for naming a month and for saying how long something lasts.

• 二月 (èr yuè) — February
• 两个月 (liǎng gè yuè) — two months
• 三个月 (sān gè yuè) — three months
• 两年 (liǎng nián) — two years
• 三年 (sān nián) — three years
• 两个星期 (liǎng gè xīng qī) or 两周 (liǎng zhōu) — two weeks

Where to start

A two-minute daily practice

A little practice every day is more helpful than one long lesson now and then. Try this every morning:

1. Ask 今天几月几号？ and let your child answer.
2. Ask 今天星期几？
3. Ask 明天星期几？ to stretch them a little.

Common mistakes

1. Using English order. Chinese goes big to small: year, month, date, weekday.
2. Reading the year as one large number. In Chinese, read each digit separately: 二零二六年 (èr líng èr liù nián).
3. Saying 星期七 for Sunday. Use 星期天 or 星期日.
4. Mixing 二月 and 两个月. February is 二月. Two months is 两个月.
5. Adding 个 to 年. Say 三年, not 三个年.

Frequently asked questions

Keep learning

• Chinese Numbers for Kids: 1–100, Counting, and Everyday Uses
• Days of the Week in Chinese
• How to Tell Time in Chinese — the natural next step

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