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HSK 2.0 Level 1+ HSK 3.0 Level 1+ 5 min read

今天星期一 for Sentences Without 是

Say dates, times, ages, and prices with a noun or number right after the subject, no 是 needed, and ask “how is it?” with just 怎么样.

Pattern

subject + noun / pronoun / number (+ measure word)

For dates, times, ages, and prices, a noun or number can be the predicate; the negative still needs 不是.

今天星期一。

When to use 今天星期一 for Sentences Without 是

In English you need “is.” In Chinese, when you give a date, a day of the week, the time, an age, or a price, the noun or number can come straight after the subject. This is very common in everyday speech, in short positive sentences.

明天五月一号。

Tomorrow is May 1st.

现在八点。

It’s eight o’clock now.

他二十岁。

He is twenty years old.

一个苹果两块钱。

One apple costs two yuan.

Common traps

  • The negative needs 不是: 今天不是星期天, not 今天不星期天.
  • This only works for dates, times, ages, prices, 怎么样 questions, and similar facts; for “I am a student,” say 我是学生, not 我学生.
  • Both 今天星期一 and 今天是星期一 are correct; the version without 是 is more casual.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

现在 ，我们去吃饭吧

It’s twelve o’clock now. Let’s go eat
Fill in the missing piece, then press Enter

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