Identify various time expressions (e.g., months of the year)

How to Say and Write the Months of the Year in Chinese

In Chinese, months are expressed using a number (1-12) followed by the word 月 (yuè), which means "month." This is similar to how we say "January" in English, but the Chinese way directly combines the number with the word for month.

The Twelve Months in Chinese

Number	Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
1	一月	yīyuè	January
2	二月	èryuè	February
3	三月	sānyuè	March
4	四月	sìyuè	April
5	五月	wǔyuè	May
6	六月	liùyuè	June
7	七月	qīyuè	July
8	八月	bāyuè	August
9	九月	jiǔyuè	September
10	十月	shíyuè	October
11	十一月	shíyīyuè	November
12	十二月	shí'èryuè	December

How to Use the Months in Sentences

In Chinese, months are often used to talk about when something happens. Here are some common patterns:

• 某月 (mǒuyuè) – "a certain month" (e.g., 六月 means "June")
• 月份 (yuèfèn) – "month" (more formal)
• 几月? (jǐ yuè?) – "Which month?"

Worked Examples

Example 1: Talking about the weather in a specific month

From the textbook, Ali says:

十二月、一月、二月，坦桑尼亚的天气很热；六月、七月、八月，不热。

Translation: "December, January, and February, the weather in Tanzania is very hot; June, July, and August, it is not hot."

This shows how to use months to describe seasons and weather.

Example 2: Making plans for a specific month

我明年九月去中国学习中文。 Wǒ míngnián jiǔyuè qù Zhōngguó xuéxí zhōngwén.

Translation: "I will go to China to study Chinese next year in September."

Example 3: Saying when a friend's birthday is

我哥哥十二月六日过生日。 Wǒ gēge shí'èryuè liù rì guò shēngrì.

Translation: "My older brother's birthday is on December 6th."

Key Points to Remember

• The number comes first, then 月 (yuè).
• In Pinyin, tones matter: yī (1st tone), èr (4th tone), sān (1st tone), sì (4th tone), wǔ (3rd tone), liù (4th tone), qī (1st tone), bā (1st tone), jiǔ (3rd tone), shí (2nd tone).
• For months 11 and 12, combine the numbers: 十一 (shíyī) for 11 and 十二 (shí'èr) for 12, then add 月.
• In Swahili, these are called miezi ya mwaka — the months of the year.

Practice Activity

Try to match the Chinese month with its English name:

1. 八月 → ?
2. 五月 → ?
3. 三月 → ?
4. 十二月 → ?
5. 七月 → ?

Answers: August, May, March, December, July.

Real-life application

In everyday life in Tanzania, knowing the months in Chinese is useful when talking about travel plans, school terms, or seasonal activities. For example, if a Tanzanian student is planning to visit China with their family during the June holiday (liùyuè), they can say: "我们六月去中国旅游" (Wǒmen liùyuè qù Zhōngguó lǚyóu) — "We are going to China for tourism in June." This helps in communicating with Chinese friends or planning trips to places like Dar es Salaam or Arusha during different seasons.