Original Text · Elementary · Lesson 5

Numbers, Dates & Days of the Week.

VOL. 05 NETCHAI ORIGINAL TEXT
Elementary · Lesson 5

01Vocabulary

二(num.)

èr

two

四(num.)

sì

four

五(num.)

wǔ

five

六(num.)

liù

six

七(num.)

qī

seven

八(num.)

bā

eight

九(num.)

jiǔ

nine

十(num.)

shí

ten

今天(n.)

jīntiān

today

号(n.)

hào

day (of the month)

星期(n.)

xīngqī

day of the week; week

昨天(n.)

zuótiān

yesterday

明天(n.)

míngtiān

tomorrow

安排(v./n.)

ānpái

to plan; to arrange; plan; arrangement

上午(n.)

shàngwǔ

morning; a.m.

下午(n.)

xiàwǔ

afternoon; p.m.

会议(n.)

huìyì

meeting; conference

知道(v.)

zhīdào

to know; to understand

生日(n.)

shēngri

birthday

说(v.)

shuō

to speak; to say

聚会(n.)

jùhuì

gathering; party

一起(adv.)

yìqǐ

together

02Key Sentences

今jīn天tiān几jǐ号hào？

What is today's date?

今jīn天tiān五wǔ月yuè二èr十shí一yī号hào。

Today is May 21st.

今jīn天tiān不bú是shì星xīng期qī二èr，昨zuó天tiān星xīng期qī二èr。

Today is not Tuesday. Yesterday was Tuesday.

明míng天tiān有yǒu什shén么me安ān排pái？

What are your plans for tomorrow?

明míng天tiān上shàng午wǔ去qù客kè户hù公gōng司sī，下xià午wǔ有yǒu会huì议yì。

Tomorrow morning I'm going to the client's company, and there's a meeting in the afternoon.

你nǐ的de生shēng日ri是shì几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào？

What month and day is your birthday?

她tā说shuō有yǒu生shēng日ri聚jù会huì。

She says there's a birthday party.

我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ去qù，好hǎo吗ma？

Shall we go together?

03Dialogue

数字　·　NUMBERS

yī	èr	sān	sì	wǔ	liù	qī	bā	jiǔ	shí
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
一	二	三	四	五	六	七	八	九	十

SCENE 1

tiánzhōng田中

今jīn天tiān几jǐ号hào？

lǐ lán李兰

今jīn天tiān五wǔ月yuè二èr十shí一yī号hào。

tiánzhōng田中

今jīn天tiān星xīng期qī二èr吗ma？

lǐ lán李兰

今jīn天tiān不bú是shì星xīng期qī二èr，昨zuó天tiān星xīng期qī二èr。

tiánzhōng田中

明míng天tiān有yǒu什shén么me安ān排pái？

lǐ lán李兰

明míng天tiān上shàng午wǔ去qù客kè户hù公gōng司sī，下xià午wǔ有yǒu会huì议yì。

tiánzhōng田中

好hǎo的de，我wǒ知zhī道dào了le。

SCENE 2

wáng lì王力

你nǐ的de生shēng日ri是shì几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào？

zhāng jūn张军

十shí一yī月yuè十shí号hào。你nǐ呢ne？

wáng lì王力

四sì月yuè十shí五wǔ号hào。

zhāng jūn张军

六liù号hào是shì李lǐ兰lán的de生shēng日ri。

wáng lì王力

六liù号hào星xīng期qī几jǐ？

zhāng jūn张军

星xīng期qī六liù。她tā说shuō有yǒu生shēng日ri聚jù会huì。

wáng lì王力

你nǐ去qù吗ma？

zhāng jūn张军

去qù，你nǐ呢ne？

wáng lì王力

我wǒ也yě去qù。我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ去qù，好hǎo吗ma？

zhāng jūn张军

好hǎo。

04Grammar

POINT 01

(1) Expressing Years, Months, Dates, and Days of the Week

① Years For four-digit years, each digit is read individually.

一yī九jiǔ八bā五wǔ年nián（1985）
二èr〇líng一yī三sān年nián（2013）

② Months Add "月" after the numbers 1–12.

一yī月yuè　二èr月yuè　三sān月yuè　四sì月yuè　五wǔ月yuè　六liù月yuè
七qī月yuè　八bā月yuè　九jiǔ月yuè　十shí月yuè　十shí一yī月yuè　十shí二èr月yuè

Note: The "一" in "一月" does not change tone — it stays as first tone.

③ Dates Add "号" or "日" after the numbers 1–31. "号" is used in spoken language; "日" is used in written language.

Note: The "一" in "一号", "十一号", etc. does not change tone — it always stays as first tone.

④ Days of the Week Add the numbers 1–6 after "星期" to express Monday through Saturday respectively.

星xīng期qī一yī　星xīng期qī二èr　星xīng期qī三sān　星xīng期qī四sì　星xīng期qī五wǔ　星xīng期qī六liù

Sunday does not use a number; it is expressed as follows:

星xīng期qī日rì　／　星xīng期qī天tiān

Note: In spoken Chinese, "礼拜（lǐbài）" is sometimes used instead of "星期".

POINT 02

(2) Nominal Predicate Sentences

A sentence in which a noun, noun phrase, or quantifier directly follows the subject as the predicate is called a nominal predicate sentence. In this pattern, "是" is not used when expressing origin, age, occupation, weather, price, time, and similar concepts.

Subject (Noun 1) + Predicate (Noun 2)

明míng天tiān星xīng期qī五wǔ。
他tā东dōng京jīng人rén。
我wǒ今jīn年nián二èr十shí五wǔ岁suì。

To negate a nominal predicate sentence, use "不是".

他tā不bú是shì东dōng京jīng人rén。
今jīn天tiān不bú是shì星xīng期qī四sì。

POINT 03

(3) Questions Using "…，好吗？"

Questions using "…，好吗？" are a way of making a suggestion and asking for the other person's opinion. "…，好吗？" expresses the meaning of "…, shall we?" or "…, how about it?"

我wǒ们men去qù银yín行háng，好hǎo吗ma？
我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ学xué习xí英yīng语yǔ，好hǎo吗ma？

05Translation

Scene 1.田中What is today's date?
李兰Today is May 21st.
田中Is today Tuesday?
李兰Today is not Tuesday. Yesterday was Tuesday.
田中What are your plans for tomorrow?
李兰Tomorrow morning I'm going to the client's company, and there's a meeting in the afternoon.
田中Got it, understood.

Scene 2.王力What month and day is your birthday?
张军November 10th. And you?
王力April 15th.
张军The 6th is Li Lan's birthday.
王力What day of the week is the 6th?
张军Saturday. She says there's a birthday party.
王力Are you going?
张军Yes. And you?
王力I'm going too. Shall we go together?
张军Sounds good.

01Vocabulary

02Key Sentences

03Dialogue

数 字 · NUMBERS

04Grammar

(1) Expressing Years, Months, Dates, and Days of the Week

(2) Nominal Predicate Sentences

(3) Questions Using "…，好吗？"

05Translation

Scene 1.

Scene 2.

数字　·　NUMBERS