Fun Days and Months Activity in Chinese and English

Want to learn the days of the week and months of the year in Mandarin Chinese? If you can count in Mandarin, you’re in luck! Numbers are a big part of knowing how to say the days and months in Chinese. To help kids learn, I’ve organized translations of important calendar phrases, plus a fun activity in Chinese and English.

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Days of the week in Chinese and Pinyin

In Mandarin Chinese, 星期 (xīngqī) translates to “week”. Each day of the week has a designated number, with Monday leading at 1.

Here’s how to say the days of the week with simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Hanyu Pinyin, and English translations.

English	Chinese	Pinyin
Monday	星期一	xīngqīyī
Tuesday	星期二	xīngqī èr
Wednesday	星期三	xīngqī sān
Thursday	星期四	xīngqī sì
Friday	星期五	xīngqī wǔ
Saturday	星期六	xīngqī liù
Sunday	星期天 星期日	xīngqītiān xīngqīrì

In addition to 星期 (xīngqī), days of the week can be described in two other ways. 周 (zhōu) and 礼拜 / 禮拜 (lǐbài) both translate to “week” in Mandarin Chinese.

For example, 周一 (zhōu yī) is another way to say Monday and 礼拜二 / 禮拜二 (lǐbài èr) is another way to say Tuesday in Chinese.

All of these words are interchangeable and used commonly throughout China, Taiwan, and other Chinese-speaking countries. The preferred term depends on family and regional preferences.

Related: Simplified Versus Traditional Chinese: Which is better?

Months of the year in Chinese and Pinyin

Thankfully, the months of the year are much easier to remember in Chinese than in English! Plus, the translations are straightforward compared to days of the week.

In Mandarin Chinese, “month” translates to 月 (yuè), and this word also means “moon.” Since months are based on the moon’s motion around the Earth, the translation reflects this scientific relationship!

English	Chinese	Pinyin
January	一月	yī yuè
February	二月	èr yuè
March	三月	sān yuè
April	四月	sì yuè
May	五月	wǔ yuè
June	六月	liù yuè
July	七月	qī yuè
August	八月	bā yuè
September	九月	jiǔ yuè
October	十月	shí yuè
November	十一月	shí yī yuè
December	十二月	shí èr yuè

Related: 10 Marvelous Moon Phase Crafts and Activities

Days and months activity wheels in Chinese and English

Want to make learning extra fun?

Our spinning calendar wheels teach kids about yesterday 昨天 (zuótiān), today 今天 / jīntiān, and tomorrow 明天 / míngtiān in Mandarin Chinese.

They also teach kids how to say last month 上个月 / 上個月 (shàng gè yuè), this month 这个月 / 這個月 (zhège yuè), and next month 下个月 / 下個月 (xià gè yuè).

With each spin, your child or student can see the relationship between the days of the week and the months of the year. Choose your preferred language: English, simplified Chinese, or traditional Chinese.

Supplies for DIY calendar wheels

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1. Printer
2. Scissors
3. Paper fasteners
4. Optional: Laminator and laminating pouches for durability

How to set up the calendar wheels

1. Print calendar wheel templates on different colors of paper. Let your kids choose the colors.
2. Optional: laminate each page
3. Cut out circles
4. Insert a paper fastener in the center
5. Time to spin and learn!

Tips for teaching days and months in Chinese to kids

Since my children are learning Mandarin as a second language at home, we try to make it a part of our daily routine.

After the kids wake up, someone usually asks, “What day is today? 今天星期几? / 今天星期幾? (Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?)” Morning is a great time to review the day of the week and date. Naming the month and day in Chinese helps kids notice patterns and understand calendar concepts.

With our spinning calendar wheels, you can ask questions like:

• Months of the year:
  • 我们在哪个月？/ 我們在哪個月？(Wǒmen zài nǎge yuè? / What month are we in?)
• Days of the week:
  • 昨天是星期几？/ 昨天是星期幾？ (Zuótiān shì xīngqī jǐ? / What day was yesterday?)
    明天是星期几？/ 明天是星期幾 ？(Míngtiān shì xīngqī jǐ / What day is tomorrow?)

Get your days and months calendar wheels here

More days, months, and years activities in Chinese