How to say “today” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
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Two flat first tones. Time words go before the verb or at the very start of the sentence: 我今天很忙 (wǒ jīntiān hěn máng). Swap 天 for 年 (nián) to get 今年 (jīnnián), 'this year'.
In a sentence
Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.
The weather is nice today.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "today" in Chinese?+
"today" in Mandarin Chinese is 今天, pronounced jīntiān. Two flat first tones. Time words go before the verb or at the very start of the sentence: 我今天很忙 (wǒ jīntiān hěn máng). Swap 天 for 年 (nián) to get 今年 (jīnnián), 'this year'.
What does 今天 mean literally?+
今天 breaks down as 今 (jīn) = present / now, 天 (tiān) = day. Together it means "today".
How do I get the tones right in jīntiān?+
Two flat first tones. Time words go before the verb or at the very start of the sentence: 我今天很忙 (wǒ jīntiān hěn máng). Swap 天 for 年 (nián) to get 今年 (jīnnián), 'this year'.
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