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日期 (rì qī) — date (calendar day)

Definition

日期 means a specific calendar date (day/month/year), as in a date of birth or appointment. Unlike 日子, it focuses on the calendar day itself, not on daily life or time passing.

noun
date (calendar day)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 日期。
    Qǐng gào sù wǒ nǐ de chū shēng rì qī.
    Please tell me your date of birth.
  • 日期？
    Zhè ge rì qī shì xīng qī jǐ?
    What day of the week is this date?
  • 日期。
    Wǒ men dìng gè rì qī jiàn miàn ba.
    Let's set a date to meet.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

日rìday
期qītime

“日” means day and “期” means time, together naming a calendar day.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

日 originally drew the sun. A mark was added inside to tell it apart from similar square shapes.

Open 日 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 5Months & Dates5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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