Chinese weekdays are built from one pattern: 星期 (xīngqī) plus the numbers one to six. 星期一 (xīngqīyī) is Monday, 星期二 (xīngqī'èr) Tuesday, on through 星期六 (xīngqīliù) for Saturday. Sunday breaks the pattern — it is 星期日 (xīngqīrì), or the more spoken 星期天 (xīngqītiān), and never 星期七.
Three systems name the same seven days. 星期 is the standard everyday form and the safest default. 周 (zhōu) is shorter and leans written or formal: 周一 through 周六, with 周日 for Sunday. 礼拜 (lǐbài) is the casual spoken form you hear between friends: 礼拜一, and 礼拜天 for Sunday. This page sets all three side by side for every day with tone-marked pinyin, English, and audio you can play, so the difference is something you hear rather than read about.
Ask 今天星期几？ (Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?) — "what day is it today?". Neither the usual question nor the usual answer takes 是, because days and dates behave as nominal predicates on their own: 今天星期三。 (Jīntiān xīngqīsān.) Inside a longer sentence a weekday sits before the verb, like every other time word: 我星期三学中文。 (Wǒ xīngqīsān xué Zhōngwén.) — "I study Chinese on Wednesday."
With 星期 the neighbouring weeks normally take 个: 上个星期 (shàng ge xīngqī) last week, 这个星期 (zhège xīngqī) this week, 下个星期 (xià ge xīngqī) next week. With 周 the 个 is dropped — 上周, 这周, 下周. Full dates run largest unit first, the reverse of English: 二〇二六年八月二十九号星期六 is year, month, day, weekday. Speech prefers 号 (hào) where writing uses 日 (rì).
Do not mix the systems inside one word: it is 星期一 or 周一, never 周星期一. There is no word for "on" — 星期一 by itself carries it, as in 我星期一上班 (Wǒ xīngqīyī shàngbān). 星期几 asks which weekday, 几号 asks which date, and the two questions take different answers. And 礼拜 has a second life as the word for a religious service, 做礼拜 (zuò lǐbài), so context settles which one is meant.
The weekday reference and its audio need no signup. When a tone feels uncertain, run the phrase through the Chinese Tone Sandhi Checker; to test a full sentence with a weekday in it, use the Chinese Sentence Lab; or open the index of free Chinese learning tools.
All three can name days of the week. 星期 (xīngqī) is the safest general form, 周 (zhōu) is concise and common, and 礼拜 (lǐbài) is conversational. Learn to recognize all three, then use one pattern consistently while you build confidence.
Ask 今天星期几？ (Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?) for “What day is it today?” Replace 今天 (jīntiān) with 明天 (míngtiān) or 昨天 (zuótiān) to ask about tomorrow or yesterday, then answer with the same 星期 (xīngqī) pattern.
Turn the words into a real weekly routine: say when you work, study Chinese, exercise, or are free. When you are ready, use the separate first-lesson section below the reference to practice those answers live with Mei Lin.
No. The weekday reference and audio work without signup. A separate first-lesson section below the reference lets you start a free speaking lesson with Mei Lin when you are ready.