日、号、岁、点、分、年、天

HSK-G-14
HSK 1 词类 量词

Why does 第一天 mean 'first day' but 一号 means 'the 1st of the month'?

天 counts days; 号 names a date on the calendar.

Use 天 to count how many days pass or to mark a sequence. Use 号 to say which date of the month it is. That's why 三天 means 'three days' and never 'the 3rd'. Stacking them gives 三号天, which native ears hear as gibberish. The story opens with the sequence use: “高先明第一天来中国。” ── [《五块钱》](/read/five-yuan-kindness#s1)

Situation / PatternFormulaNaturalAvoid
Counting daysnumber + 天三天不在家 (away three days)三号不在家
Naming a datenumber + 号五月三号 (May 3rd)五月三天
First day vs 1st第 + number + 天 / 第 + number + 号第一天 (day one)第一号 (means 'the 1st')

Why do forms say 5月1日 but people say 五月一号?

日 is formal and written; 号 is what people actually say.

In everyday speech, dates take 号: 五月一号, 三号, 今天几号. In forms, news, and official documents, dates take 日: 五月一日. Same date, different dress code. Nobody says 五月一日 out loud in a casual chat. It sounds like a legal contract read aloud.

Situation / PatternFormulaNaturalAvoid
Talking out loudmonth + 月 + number + 号五月一号 (May 1st)五月一日 (stiff)
Forms and newsmonth + 月 + number + 日五月一日 (May 1st)五月一号 in a passport form
Asking today's date今天 + number + 号今天三号今天三日 in speech

Why is it 我二十岁 and not 我二十年?

岁 means years of age; 年 means a stretch of years.

Use 岁 for age, full stop: 他二十岁, 我三十岁. Running them together gives 二十岁年, which sounds like 'twenty years years'. Use 年 to count time passing: 他学了三年, 今年, 明年. Keep them in separate lanes and you're fine.

Situation / PatternFormulaNaturalAvoid
Stating agenumber + 岁他二十岁他二十岁年
Counting a durationnumber + 年他学了三年他学了三岁
This year今年今年我二十岁今岁

Can I just say 三点五 for 3:05, or do I need 分?

Drop 分 only on the hour; otherwise say the minutes with 分.

On the hour, 三点 means exactly 3:00, so 分 is redundant. For any minutes, say the number then 分: 三点五分 (3:05), 三点十分. Bare 三点五 reads as the decimal 3.5, not a time. For the half hour, people say 三点半, not 三点三十.

Situation / PatternFormulaNaturalAvoid
Exactly on the hournumber + 点三点 (3:00)三点零分
Has minutesnumber + 点 + number + 分三点五分 (3:05)三点五 (= 3.5, a number)
Half pastnumber + 点半三点半 (3:30)三点三十分 (stiff)

Appears in Stories 18 stories

《时间和时候(1)卖车看电影》 Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
HSK 1 ~2 min read 146 chars
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Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.

  • 年月日前后天

    Year, month, and day; the day before yesterday and the day after tomorrow.

  • 下午明年

    Morning and afternoon; next year, I'll go.

  • 早上六点半起床

    I get up at half past six in the morning.

  • 上午九点上班

    I go to work at nine in the morning.

  • 中午十二点吃饭

    I have lunch at twelve noon.

  • 下午五点半下班

    I get off work at half past five in the afternoon.

  • 晚上八点回到

    I get home at eight in the evening.

  • 前天同学打电话

    A classmate called the day before yesterday.

  • 后天电影

    There's a good movie the day after tomorrow.

  • 今天电影院

    I went to the movie theater today.

  • 明天大饭店

    Tomorrow I'm going to see Grand Hotel.

  • 前年我去大学

    The year before last, I started college.

  • 去年电脑

    Last year I bought a new computer.

  • 明年新车

    Next year I want to buy a new car.

  • 后年可以新房

    The year after next, I can buy a new house.

《七号桌的客人》 The Guest at Table Seven
HSK 1 ~5 min read 396 chars
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This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.

  • 老先生天天坐在七号桌子

    The old gentleman sits at Table 7 every day.

  • 老先生天天热茶

    The old gentleman comes every day and buys a cup of hot tea.

  • 天天这个时候

    It is always this time every day.

  • 一天晚上大中七号桌子

    One evening, Dazhong goes over to Table 7.

  • 天天晚上九点下班坐在七号桌子

    He used to get off work at nine every night, and I would sit at Table 7 and watch him.

  • 七号天天

    Table 7 is yours every day.

  • 今天

    Today, the tea is hot.

《找“大白”》 Looking for Big White
HSK 1 ~5 min read 361 chars
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A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.

  • 看见我的大白猫大白打电话三号房间

    If anyone sees my big white cat, Dabai, please call Room 3.

  • 白天明天天学校大白猫

    Every day, Bai Tianming looked for the big white cat around the school.

  • 一天下午白天明三号房间老先生

    One afternoon, Bai Tianming went to Room 3 to visit the old man.

  • 天天家里很多天没有人和我说话

    Day after day at home, I can go many days without anyone talking to me.

  • 白天明老先生老先生天天这里说话

    Bai Tianming said to the old man, 'Sir, I'll come here every day to talk with you.'

  • 白天明觉得今天天气真好

    Bai Tianming felt that the weather today was really nice.

《热面条》 Hot Noodles on a Cold Night
HSK 1 ~5 min read 399 chars
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Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.

  • 天天上午八点上班晚上九点下班

    He starts work at 8 a.m. and gets off at 9 p.m. every day.

  • 工作天天回家

    He is very busy with work and gets home late every day.

  • 老先生天天大中面条

    The elderly man makes hot noodles for Dazhong every day.

  • 一天晚上外边大雨天气非常

    One evening, it was raining heavily outside and the weather was very cold.

  • 老先生大中知道天天晚上

    The elderly man says to Dazhong, 'I know you come every evening.'

《我的一天》 My Day by the Clock
HSK 1 ~1 min read 72 chars
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Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.

  • 二零二六年十月三十号

    The year 2026, October 30th.

  • 早上六点起床早饭

    At 6:30 in the morning, I get up and eat breakfast.

  • 下班五点回家晚饭

    I get off work at 5:30 and go home for dinner.

  • 学习九点睡觉十点

    I study until 9 o'clock and go to bed at 10:30.

《五块钱》 The Five-Yuan Gift
HSK 1 ~6 min read 414 chars
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This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.

  • 高先明第一天中国

    It was Gao Xianming's first day in China.

  • 明天

    'I'll give you the money tomorrow.'

  • 很多天一天早上高先明这里坐车

    Many days later, one morning, Gao Xianming came here to take the bus.

  • 明天

    'I'll give you the money tomorrow.'

《一二三(2)》 Counting Days and Rhymes
HSK 1 ~2 min read 84 chars
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This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.

  • Year, month, day, o'clock, and half past.

  • 天天好看

    Every day is beautiful.

  • 工作两三休息四五读书小时吃饭分钟

    Work for two or three years, rest for four or five days, study for an hour, eat for five minutes.

《一到十二月》 Twelve Months of Love
HSK 1 ~2 min read 108 chars
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Welcome! This short poem helps you practice the months, weekdays, and mealtimes in Chinese. Read it aloud and notice the rhythm. You already know many of these words!

  • 一年十二月

    A year has twelve months; I love you and miss you too.

  • 星期一天天喜欢

    From Monday to Saturday, I like you every day.

  • 星期日日日爱人超市菜米回家做饭

    Sunday and every day, day after day with my loved one; buying vegetables and rice at the supermarket, then going home busy with cooking.

《一二三(1)》 Counting Numbers Rhyme
HSK 1 ~1 min read 48 chars
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This rhythmic poem helps you practice numbers from one to ten and larger units. Listen to the beat and count along!

  • 千万亿两点半

    Thousand, ten thousand, hundred million; half past two.

  • 十亿年月日

    One billion people; year, month, day.

《一二三 住医院》 Hospital Days, Pricey Plates
HSK 1 ~2 min read 107 chars
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Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.

  • 二零一九年八月十六日回国第七生病第一

    August 16, 2019 — my seventh day back in China, and day one of being sick.

  • 休息星期七天医院医生很好房间漂亮

    I rested for two weeks and spent seven days in the hospital. The doctor was very nice, and the room was big and lovely.

《谢谢你来看我》 Rain, Thank You for Visiting Me
HSK 1 ~2 min read 152 chars
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Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.

  • 明天见

    See you tomorrow!

  • 明天看你

    I'll come see you again tomorrow.

《问问题》 Asking Questions
HSK 1 ~2 min read 107 chars
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Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.

  • 小孩儿

    To ask a little kid: How old are you?

《小大学和大小学》 Big and Small Schools
HSK 1 ~1 min read 78 chars
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This playful reading contrasts small universities and big primary schools. You will practice basic words for school levels and sizes while enjoying a simple rhythmic verse.

  • 小学

    At age six, they start elementary school.

《很贵的苹果》 The Expensive Apples
HSK 1 ~2 min read 137 chars
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This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.

  • 今天白天时候这边超市东西

    Today, during the daytime, I went to the supermarket near my home to buy some groceries.

《星期七》 The Week Without Seven
HSK 1 ~2 min read 82 chars
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Before you read, try clapping the rhythm. This poem introduces the days of the week and a fun secret: Chinese has two names for Sunday, but no 'Week Seven'!

  • 星期没有星期七还有一天星期日

    There is no 'Week Seven' in a week; there is still one day, Sunday.

《小时怎么小?》 The Small Hour Riddle
HSK 1 ~1 min read 57 chars
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This playful HSK 1 poem twists words you already know and asks how an hour can be small. Read it aloud and laugh; a fun way to practice Chinese.

  • 分钟哪儿

    Where is the 钟 in 分钟 (minute)?

《我的家人(2)》 My Family Members
HSK 1 ~2 min read 141 chars
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This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!

  • 人人学习天天学校上午读读书下午写写字

    Everyone loves learning. Every day we go to school: we do some reading in the morning and some writing in the afternoon.

《三号病房的苹果》 The Apple in Ward Three
HSK 1 ~3 min read 191 chars
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Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.

  • 马家友二号房间老先生

    Ma Jiayou went to Room 2 to look for the old man.

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