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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 17

今天几号What's today's date

Jīntiān jǐ hào

Say today's date, ask about someone's birthday, and talk about yesterday, today and tomorrow.

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Dialogue

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今天几号— What's today's date

  1. 文山白bái月yuè, 今jīn天tiān几jǐ号hào?Bai Yue, what's today's date?
  2. 白月今jīn天tiān五wǔ月yuè一yī号hào.May 1st.
  3. 文山五wǔ月yuè一yī号hào? 是shì我wǒ的de生shēng日rì!May 1st? It's my birthday!
  4. 白月真zhēn的de吗ma? 生shēng日rì快kuài乐lè!Really? Happy birthday!
  5. 文山谢xiè谢xiè! 你nǐ的de生shēng日rì是shì几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào?Thanks! When's yours?
  6. 白月我wǒ的de生shēng日rì是shì九jiǔ月yuè二èr十shí号hào. 我wǒ今jīn年nián二èr十shí一yī岁suì.Mine is September 20. I'm 21 this year.

Dialogue

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明天来吗— Coming tomorrow?

  1. 白月文wén山shān, 明míng天tiān你nǐ来lái吗ma?Wen Shan, you coming tomorrow?
  2. 文山明míng天tiān五wǔ月yuè二èr号hào. 我wǒ来lái.May 2. I'll come.
  3. 白月昨zuó天tiān我wǒ没méi来lái. 我wǒ去qù看kàn朋péng友yǒu了le.Yesterday I didn't come. I went to see a friend.
  4. 文山没méi关guān系xì. 你nǐ明míng天tiān也yě来lái吧ba!That's OK. You come tomorrow too!
  5. 白月好hǎo! 明míng天tiān见jiàn!OK! See you tomorrow!

Vocabulary

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今jīn天tiān

nountoday

明míng天tiān

nountomorrow

昨zuó天tiān

nounyesterday

号hào

measure wordday (of the month)

月yuè

nounmonth

年nián

nounyear

今jīn年nián

nounthis year

明míng年nián

nounnext year

去qù年nián

nounlast year

新xīn年nián

nounnew year

生shēng日rì

nounbirthday

生shēng日rì快kuài乐lè

phrasehappy birthday

白bái月yuè

pn.Bai Yue (design student)

New characters

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今jīn

today; now

今天 jīntiān — today今年 jīnnián — this year
号hào

date / number

日rì

sun / day

生日 shēngrì — birthday星期日 xīngqī rì — Sunday (formal)节日 jiérì — festival; holiday
年nián

year

今年 jīnnián — this year明年 míngnián — next year去年 qùnián — last year
昨zuó

yesterday

昨天 zuótiān — yesterday

Hanzi — writing & recognition

i

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今

jīntoday; nowWriting

4 strokestop-bottom

明

míngtomorrow; brightWriting

8 strokesleft-rightradical 日

昨

zuóyesterdayWriting

9 strokesleft-rightradical 日

年

niányearWriting

6 strokesstandalone

号

hàodate / numberRecognition

5 strokestop-bottom

生

shēngbe born; lifeRecognition

5 strokesstandalone

日

rìsun; dayRecognition

4 strokesstandalone

月

yuèmonth / moonRecognition

4 strokesstandalone

Grammar

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Dates — month and date

Explanation

Chinese date format goes BIG to SMALL: 年 → 月 → 号 → time. Example: 2026 年 5 月 1 号. Ask 今天几号? for date; 今天几月几号? for month+date. Answer: X 月 X 号 (X month, X date).

Examples

  • 今jīn天tiān几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào?What month / date is today?
  • 今jīn天tiān五wǔ月yuè一yī号hào.Today's May 1st.
  • 我wǒ的de生shēng日rì是shì十shí月yuè十shí号hào.My birthday is October 10.
  • 今jīn年nián是shì 2026 年nián.This year is 2026.

Grammar

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没 + verb: it didn't happen

Explanation

To say something didn't happen, put 没 before the verb: 昨天我没来 (I didn't come yesterday). Don't add 了 here. Say 我没来, not 我没来了. 不 is different: it says you don't or won't do it: 我不来 (I'm not coming).

Examples

  • 昨zuó天tiān我wǒ没méi来lái.I didn't come yesterday.
  • 他tā今jīn天tiān没méi去qù.He didn't go today.
  • 明míng天tiān我wǒ不bù来lái.I'm not coming tomorrow.

Pronunciation

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声母 d, t, n, l 和复韵母Initials d, t, n, l and the Compound Finals

声母 d, t, n, l — Initials d, t, n, l

This chapter teaches d, t, n, l — all four are made with the tongue tip behind the upper teeth (alveolar/dental).

  • d — like "t" in "stop" (English unaspirated) dā · dé · dì · duō
  • t — like "t" in "top" (English aspirated) tā · tī · tǔ · tù
  • n — like "n" in English "no" nǐ · nín · nǎ · nǚ
  • l — like "l" in English "love" lái · lǐ · lù · lǎo

复韵母 — Compound Finals

Compound finals combine two or three vowel sounds smoothly. This chapter introduces the most common ones.

  • ai — like "i" in "eye" bāi · tái · mǎi · wài
  • ei — like "ay" in "say" bèi · měi · fēi · lèi
  • ao — like "ow" in "now" bāo · māo · dào · lǎo
  • ou — like "oh" in "go" (rounded) dōu · tóu · lóu · mǒu
  • an — like "an" in "answer" (no g sound) bàn · fàn · tán · mán
  • en — like "en" in "happen" běn · mén · fēn · rén
  • ang — "a" + nasal "ng" — like "ahng" fáng · tāng · mǎng · pàng
  • eng — "e" + nasal "ng" — like "uhng" děng · féng · téng · mèng
  • ong — "o" + nasal "ng" — like "ohng" dōng · tóng · lóng · pōng

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