几月几号 Months and Dates in Chinese

朋友péngyou说shuō：“今天jīntiān是shì几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào？”

My friend asks, "What's the date today?"

我wǒ说shuō：“今天jīntiān是shì九月jiǔ yuè五wǔ号hào。”

I say, "Today is September 5th."

朋友péngyou说shuō：“九月jiǔ yuè五wǔ号hào？我wǒ的de生日shēngrì是shì九月jiǔ yuè十五shíwǔ号hào！”

My friend says, "September 5th? My birthday is September 15th!"

我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ的de生日shēngrì是shì九月jiǔ yuè二十èrshí号hào，我们wǒmen的de生日shēngrì都dōu在zài九月jiǔ yuè。”

I say, "My birthday is September 20th — both our birthdays are in September."

朋友péngyou说shuō：“九月jiǔ yuè十五shíwǔ号hào，你nǐ来lái我wǒ家jiā！”

My friend says, "On September 15th, come over to my place!"

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

月yuèmonth

号hàoday of the month

几jǐwhich; how many

生日shēngrìbirthday

今天jīntiāntoday

来láito come

今天是几月几号？ — asking the date

几 means "which/how many" in questions. 几月几号 literally asks "which month, which day" — the standard way to ask a date.

今天是几月几号？ — What's the date today?

number + 月 + number + 号 — giving a date

Chinese goes big to small: month first, then day. 九月五号 = September 5th. In writing you may also see 日 instead of 号.

今天是九月五号。 — Today is September 5th.

都 — both, all

都 goes after the subject and before the verb, not next to the noun the way English "both" does.

我们的生日都在九月。 — Both our birthdays are in September.

1. What is today's date in the story?

2. When is the friend's birthday?

3. What does the friend invite the narrator to do?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.