Friday in Chinese: 星期五
Pronounced sheeng-chee-WOO — literally “week (day) five”.
Friday in Chinese at a Glance
| Simplified | 星期五 |
|---|---|
| Traditional | 星期五 |
| Pinyin | xīngqīwǔ |
| Pronunciation | sheeng-chee-WOO (xīng·qī·wǔ) |
| Literal meaning | week (day) five |
| Abbreviation | 周五 (zhōuwǔ) |
| Also said as | 周五 (zhōuwǔ) · 礼拜五 (lǐbàiwǔ) |
星期 (xīngqī) means “week” and 五 (wǔ) is the number five: Friday is “week-day five”, the last day of the standard Chinese work week.
How to Pronounce 星期五
sheeng-chee-WOO — syllable by syllable: xīng·qī·wǔ.
- Tones matter: 星期 is xīngqī (first tone, high and level, on both syllables).
- The q in qī sounds like English “ch” but with the tongue closer to the teeth.
- The x in xīng is a soft “sh” sound made with spread lips, not rounded ones.
Example Sentences with 星期五
How to Say “Happy Friday” in Chinese
“星期五快乐！” is understood and used in friendly messages, though it's less of a fixed custom than in English. On weekends you'll often see 周末愉快 (zhōumò yúkuài) — “have a pleasant weekend”.
Other Ways to Say Friday in Chinese
- 周五 (zhōuwǔ) — neutral, very common
- 礼拜五 (lǐbàiwǔ) — colloquial
All 7 Days of the Week in Chinese
Mandarin Chinese uses a beautifully logical numbered week: 星期 (xīngqī) means “week”, and you simply attach the numbers one to six for Monday through Saturday. Sunday is the only exception — it uses 日 (rì, “sun”) or 天 (tiān, “sky/day”) instead of a seven.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Pronunciation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 星期一 | xīngqīyī | sheeng-chee-EE | |
| Tuesday | 星期二 | xīngqī'èr | sheeng-chee-AR | |
| Wednesday | 星期三 | xīngqīsān | sheeng-chee-SAHN | |
| Thursday | 星期四 | xīngqīsì | sheeng-chee-SUH | |
| Friday | 星期五 | xīngqīwǔ | sheeng-chee-WOO | |
| Saturday | 星期六 | xīngqīliù | sheeng-chee-LYOH | |
| Sunday | 星期日 | xīngqīrì | sheeng-chee-RR |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in Chinese.
Cultural Notes: Friday in Chinese-Speaking Countries
China's two-day weekend only became official in 1995; before that, 星期五 wasn't the finish line it is today. TGIF energy translates online as 周五啦! (“It's finally Friday!”).
Did You Know?
星期 (xīngqī) means “week” and 五 (wǔ) is the number five: Friday is “week-day five”, the last day of the standard Chinese work week. Curious how English got its name for Friday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use 星期五 in a Sentence
Chinese needs no preposition for “on”: 我星期五有课 (wǒ xīngqīwǔ yǒu kè) literally means “I Friday have class”. Time words like 星期五 go before the verb. You can swap 星期 (xīngqī) for 周 (zhōu) or the colloquial 礼拜 (lǐbài) without changing the meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Friday in Chinese?
Friday in Chinese is 星期五 (xīngqīwǔ), pronounced “sheeng-chee-WOO”. It literally means “week (day) five”.
What does 星期五 mean in English?
星期 (xīngqī) means “week” and 五 (wǔ) is the number five: Friday is “week-day five”, the last day of the standard Chinese work week.
How do you pronounce 星期五?
It's pronounced “sheeng-chee-WOO” — broken into syllables: xīng·qī·wǔ. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
Is 星期五 capitalized in Chinese?
Chinese characters have no capital letters, so 星期五 always looks the same. In pinyin, weekday names are written in lowercase (xīngqīwǔ) unless they begin a sentence.
How do you say “Happy Friday” in Chinese?
星期五快乐！ (Xīngqīwǔ kuàilè!). “星期五快乐！” is understood and used in friendly messages, though it's less of a fixed custom than in English. On weekends you'll often see 周末愉快 (zhōumò yúkuài) — “have a pleasant weekend”.
How is Friday abbreviated in Chinese?
Friday (星期五) is abbreviated 周五 (zhōuwǔ) on Chinese calendars and schedules.
What's the difference between 星期五, 周五 and 礼拜五?
They all mean Friday. 星期 (xīngqī) is the standard form, 周 (zhōu) is a shorter equivalent common in writing and schedules, and 礼拜 (lǐbài, originally “worship”) is colloquial, heard especially in southern China and Taiwan.
How do you write Friday in Chinese pinyin?
The pinyin is xīngqīwǔ, pronounced roughly “sheeng-chee-WOO”. Tone marks matter: 星期 takes the high, level first tone on both syllables.
Is 星期五 the same in traditional Chinese?
Yes — 星期五 is written identically in simplified and traditional Chinese. Only the colloquial 礼拜 form changes (traditional: 禮拜).
How do you say “today is Friday” in Chinese?
今天是星期五 (Jīntiān shì xīngqīwǔ) — literally “today is week (day) five”.
Friday in Other Languages
Other Days in Chinese
Wondering what day it is in China right now? Check our live What day is it in China? page.