n.
date (on a calendar)
日期
date (on a calendar)
Calendar date (日 day/sun + 期 period/time); specifies the exact day, month, and year of an appointment or event.
Common Usage & Traps
- 问日期 — ask the date
- 今天的日期 — today's date
- 日期是几月几号 — the date is what month and what day
- 填日期 — fill in the date
- 写日期 — write the date
- 出生日期 — date of birth
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今天日期是什么？今天几号？日期 is the formal written noun for a calendar date. Everyday conversation normally uses 几号 or 几月几号.
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日期是星期几？今天星期几？日期 asks for month and day number. 星期几 asks for the weekday. Mixing them sounds like asking two different things at once.
Can 日期 mean 'day of the week'?
No. 日期 is the calendar date, not the weekday.
日期 means the month and day number on a calendar. 星期几 asks for the weekday, like Monday or Friday. Mixing them creates a category error, so 日期是星期几 sounds off. For the date, ask 今天几月几号. For the weekday, ask 今天星期几.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Asking date | 今天几月几号？ | 今天日期是星期几？ |
| Asking weekday | 今天星期几？ | 日期是星期几？ |
Why do Chinese people ask 今天几号 instead of 今天的日期是什么?
Real people say 今天几号; 今天的日期是什么 sounds like a form.
日期 is the written or formal noun for a calendar date. In daily chat, people usually ask 今天几号 or 今天几月几号. Saying 今天的日期是什么 is understandable but sounds like a form. Use it when reading a document or discussing schedules, not casual texting.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual chat | 今天几号？ | 今天的日期是什么？ |
| Contract or form | 日期：2025年6月1日 | 今天几号？ |
In 问日期，几月几？
Dropping 号 in 几月几 is normal casual shorthand, not an error.
In relaxed speech, 几月几号 often gets shortened to 几月几. The dropped 号 is understood from context, so nothing feels missing. This is common in quick questions between friends or coworkers. For forms or careful writing, keep the full 几月几号.
“问日期，几月几？” (To ask the date, say 'What month and what day?')
“问日期，几月几？” (To ask the date, say 'What month and what day?')
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual speech | 今天几月几？ | 今天几月？ (asks month only) |
| Full date | 今天几月几号？ | 今天几月几？ (too casual in forms) |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
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.
- Scene #1
问 日期 ，几月几？
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