Saturday in Chinese: 星期六
Pronounced sheeng-chee-LYOH — literally “week (day) six”.
Saturday in Chinese at a Glance
| Simplified | 星期六 |
|---|---|
| Traditional | 星期六 |
| Pinyin | xīngqīliù |
| Pronunciation | sheeng-chee-LYOH (xīng·qī·liù) |
| Literal meaning | week (day) six |
| Abbreviation | 周六 (zhōuliù) |
| Also said as | 周六 (zhōuliù) · 礼拜六 (lǐbàiliù) |
星期 (xīngqī) means “week” and 六 (liù) is the number six: Saturday is “week-day six”, rounding out the numbered days before Sunday breaks the pattern.
How to Pronounce 星期六
sheeng-chee-LYOH — syllable by syllable: xīng·qī·liù.
- 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 星期六
How to Say “Happy Saturday” in Chinese
“星期六快乐！” 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 Saturday in Chinese
- 周六 (zhōuliù) — neutral, very common
- 礼拜六 (lǐbàiliù) — 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: Saturday in Chinese-Speaking Countries
星期六 kicks off the Chinese weekend (周末, zhōumò). For many students it's anything but free — weekend tutoring and interest classes are a national institution.
Did You Know?
星期 (xīngqī) means “week” and 六 (liù) is the number six: Saturday is “week-day six”, rounding out the numbered days before Sunday breaks the pattern. Curious how English got its name for Saturday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use 星期六 in a Sentence
Chinese needs no preposition for “on”: 我星期六有课 (wǒ xīngqīliù yǒu kè) literally means “I Saturday have class”. Time words like 星期六 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 Saturday in Chinese?
Saturday in Chinese is 星期六 (xīngqīliù), pronounced “sheeng-chee-LYOH”. It literally means “week (day) six”.
What does 星期六 mean in English?
星期 (xīngqī) means “week” and 六 (liù) is the number six: Saturday is “week-day six”, rounding out the numbered days before Sunday breaks the pattern.
How do you pronounce 星期六?
It's pronounced “sheeng-chee-LYOH” — broken into syllables: xīng·qī·liù. Use the audio button on this page to hear a recording.
Is 星期六 capitalized in Chinese?
Chinese characters have no capital letters, so 星期六 always looks the same. In pinyin, weekday names are written in lowercase (xīngqīliù) unless they begin a sentence.
How do you say “Happy Saturday” in Chinese?
星期六快乐！ (Xīngqīliù kuàilè!). “星期六快乐！” 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 Saturday abbreviated in Chinese?
Saturday (星期六) is abbreviated 周六 (zhōuliù) on Chinese calendars and schedules.
What's the difference between 星期六, 周六 and 礼拜六?
They all mean Saturday. 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 Saturday in Chinese pinyin?
The pinyin is xīngqīliù, pronounced roughly “sheeng-chee-LYOH”. Tone marks matter: 星期 takes the high, level first tone on both syllables.
Is 星期六 the same in traditional Chinese?
Yes — 星期六 is written identically in simplified and traditional Chinese. Only the colloquial 礼拜 form changes (traditional: 禮拜).
How do you say “today is Saturday” in Chinese?
今天是星期六 (Jīntiān shì xīngqīliù) — literally “today is week (day) six”.
Saturday 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.