How To Write The Date In Chinese [Guide]

Writing the date in Chinese looks tricky until you realize it follows a simple, logical pattern. You won’t deal with weird abbreviations or inconsistent rules like in English. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to read or say any date in Chinese—whether you’re filling out a form, chatting with locals, or watching a Chinese drama where someone blurts out “今天几号?” (What’s today’s date?).

This guide breaks down everything step by step: years, months, days, and the full structure of how to write and say a date in Chinese. By the end, you’ll be able to read and say any date like a native.

Years In Chinese

Years use the character 年 (nián), which literally means “year.” When you say or write a year, you read each digit separately. So technically, every number has its own word, and large combinations aren’t grouped the same way as in English.

So “2025” isn’t “two thousand twenty-five.” It’s “two-zero-two-five year.”

This system applies to every year, ancient or modern. For instance, if you’re talking about 1949 (the founding year of modern China), you’d say 一九四九年 (yī jiǔ sì jiǔ nián).

Months In Chinese

In English, every month has a different name — “January,” “February,” “March,” and so on. Chinese skips that complexity completely. The word 月 (yuè) means “moon” or “month,” and months are simply numbered.

That’s because the traditional Chinese calendar was lunar, based on moon cycles. So months were literally “first moon,” “second moon,” etc. Modern Chinese kept that pattern. You just take the number of the month, then add 月.

Every month is built from pure numbers. That’s why you never have to memorize separate names — the pattern is the same every time.

Some useful related phrases:

• 这个月 (zhè gè yuè) = this month
• 上个月 (shàng gè yuè) = last month
• 下个月 (xià gè yuè) = next month

Once you learn 1–12 and the word 月, you can say every month in Chinese without ever guessing.

Days In Chinese

Days work in exactly the same way, but with a small twist: there are two words for “day” — 日 (rì) and 号 (hào).

Both mean “day,” but they’re used in different contexts.

• 日 (rì) is the formal one. You’ll see it in newspapers, official documents, and announcements.
• 号 (hào) is informal. People use it in daily speech, texting, or when writing casually.

So, “the 8th of May” can be either:

• 五月八日 (wǔ yuè bā rì) → formal
• 五月八号 (wǔ yuè bā hào) → spoken / casual

The rule is: number first, then 日 or 号.
No ordinal endings like “-th” or “-st.” The number itself carries that meaning.

If someone asks 今天几号? (jīn tiān jǐ hào?), they’re asking “What’s today’s date?” You can answer: 今天是二十五号 (jīn tiān shì èr shí wǔ hào) — “Today is the 25th.”

How To Write The Date In Chinese

Now that you know the three parts — year, month, day — it’s time to put them together. Chinese dates always follow this pattern: Year → Month → Day. That order never changes, no matter the context.

Formula:
[number + 年] + [number + 月] + [number + 日 / 号]

It’s used in writing, conversation, and even when typing online. If you text someone casually, you can mix numbers and characters:

2025年10月24号

That’s perfectly normal and easy to read.

How To Ask For The Date In Chinese

There’s no need to memorize long or complex question structures. Chinese keeps it simple. You just use the word 今天 (jīn tiān) meaning “today,” and the question word 几 (jǐ) meaning “what number.” The idea is that you’re literally asking, “Today is what number?” or “Today is what month and day?” It’s straightforward and flexible depending on how specific you want to be.

Here are the most common ways to ask for the date:

• 今天几号？(jīn tiān jǐ hào?) — What’s today’s date?
  The simplest and most natural way to ask in daily life.
• 今天是几月几号？(jīn tiān shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào?) — What month and day is it today?
  A little longer but very common when you want the full date.
• 今天是几号星期几？(jīn tiān shì jǐ hào xīng qī jǐ?) — What’s today’s date and what day of the week is it?
  Often used in schools or workplaces when someone needs both the date and the weekday.

Once someone asks, you’ll respond with a sentence starting with 今天是 (jīn tiān shì) — “Today is…” — followed by the full date structure: year + month + day, and sometimes the weekday.
You can mix formal or casual tones depending on context — both 日 (rì) and 号 (hào) work.

Here’s how to respond naturally:

• 今天是二零二五年十月二十四号。
  Today is October 24, 2025.
• 今天是十月二十四日。
  Today is the 24th of October.
• 今天是二零二五年十月二十四号，星期五。
  Today is October 24, 2025, Friday.
• 今天星期五。
  Today is Friday.

This pattern never changes. Once you know the formula, you can easily adjust it for any day, month, or year. It’s simple, direct, and always understood.

Ready to take your Chinese further?

Learning how to write and say the date in Chinese is one of those small but satisfying wins that makes the language feel less foreign and more natural. Once you understand the logic behind 年, 月, and 日, everything else in Chinese grammar starts to make more sense too. It’s consistent, simple, and actually fun once you start using it in real life.

If this made you want to go beyond dates and start understanding real Chinese conversations, try Lingopie. You can learn Chinese through shows, movies, and authentic dialogue that native speakers actually use. It’s one of the easiest ways to train your ear, pick up natural expressions, and feel the rhythm of the language — without boring lessons or endless flashcards.

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