m.
A single full cycle of the sun across the sky, marking one complete day. A counting unit for days; a date or day of the month.
日
n.
sun; daytime
Common Usage & Traps
- 生日 — birthday
- 今日 — today (formal, written)
- 五月一日 — May 1st (formal, written date)
- 日子 — days; life; date
- 星期日 — Sunday (formal, written)
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今天五日今天五号In normal talk, dates use 号. 日 belongs on forms, in news, and in written dates.
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年、月、天年、月、日 / 年、月、号The date slot in a sequence uses 日 or 号, not 天.
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日出来了太阳出来了The everyday word for the sun is 太阳. 日 alone sounds literary or old.
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一个日一天 / 一日Chinese does not count 日 with 个. Say 一天 in speech, or 一日 in formal writing.
号 vs 日: Which one do I use for days of the month?
Use 号 for spoken dates and 日 for written or formal dates.
号 is the universal spoken word for calendar days (今天五号). 日 is formal, written, or news language (五月一日). Never use 日 in everyday casual chat. If you say 今天五日, it sounds like you are reading a bulletin, not texting a friend. Forms, invitations, news, and calendars use 日. Your mouth uses 号; paper and news use 日.
“年月日点半。” (Year, month, day, dot, half.)
“年月日点半。” (Year, month, day, dot, half.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Daily chat date | 今天五号 | 今天五日 |
| Asking the date | 今天几号? | 今天几日? |
| Formal document | 五月一日 | 五月一号 |
| Calendar heading | 五月一日 | 五月一号 |
Can I use 日 by itself to mean the sun?
No, say 太阳 for the sun; 日 alone sounds literary or old.
日 shows the sun in old writing and compounds like 日光 and 日出. But if you point at the sky, the word is 太阳. 日出来了 sounds like a poem from a thousand years ago. In normal speech, say 太阳出来了. If you see 日 alone on a form or sign, it usually means day or date, not the sun.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Sun in the sky | 太阳出来了 | 日出来了 |
| Sunlight | 日光 / 阳光 | 日 alone |
| Sunrise | 日出 | 太阳出 |
| Talking about the sun | 太阳 | 日 |
When do I say 一天 and when do I say 一日?
一天 is normal speech; 一日 is formal, written, or fixed.
Both mean one day, but 一天 is the everyday spoken choice. 一日 belongs in formal writing, notices, idioms, and fixed phrases like 一日游. You can say 我玩了一天, but 我玩了一日 sounds like a travel brochure. Keep 一日 for set phrases unless you are writing something official.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday speech | 等一天 | 等一日 |
| Casual chat | 我玩了一天 | 我玩了一日 |
| Fixed phrase | 一日游 | 一天游 |
| Formal writing | 一日三餐 | 一天三餐 |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
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.
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年月 日 点半。
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.
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二零一九年，八月十六日，回国第七 日 ，生病第一天。
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