日历

• Pinyin: rì lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 日 = a pictograph of the sun — day; 历 = 厂 (cliff) + 力 (power) — passing through time, a record of days

Meaning

Calendar. A system or physical object showing the days, weeks, and months of a year.

Refers to both physical calendars (wall calendars, desk calendars) and digital ones (phone or computer calendars). In Chinese culture, traditional calendars often include both the solar (阳历) and lunar (阴历) dates. Common phrases include 看日历 (check the calendar) and 翻日历 (flip the calendar page).

Examples

1. 我在日历上标出了所有重要的日期。 I marked all the important dates on the calendar.
2. 他每天早上都会翻一页日历。 Every morning he flips one page of the calendar.
3. 你可以在手机日历上设置提醒。 You can set reminders on your phone's calendar.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, work, planning

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 快看一下日历，下个星期五是几号？(Check the calendar quickly — what is the date next Friday?)
• 新年的时候我买了一本新日历。(I bought a new calendar at New Year.)

Don't Say

• 日历说明天会下雨 meaning the calendar says it will rain tomorrow (Don't confuse 日历 calendar with 天气预报 weather forecast — a calendar shows dates, not weather; say 天气预报说明天会下雨 instead)

Origin & History

A compound of 日 (day, sun) and 历 (to pass through, to experience — also meaning a sequential record), together meaning a sequential record of days — a calendar.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal