今天星期五 · without 是
a date, a day or an age can be the predicate without 是
Structure
主语 + 日期/星期/年龄 · 否定:主语 + 不是 + 日期
What it means
When the predicate is a date, a day of the week or an age, Chinese can leave out 是: 今天星期五 (today is Friday).
How it is built
Subject + date / day / age: 我二十八岁 (I’m 28), 明天星期六 (tomorrow is Saturday). Adding 是 is also correct: 今天是星期五.
When to use it
Both forms are fine; without 是 is very common in speech. Prices work the same way, as you will see when you go shopping.
Watch out
✗ 今天不星期五。 ✓ 今天不是星期五。 The negative always needs 是: 今天不是十号,是九号.
Examples
明天星期六。
Tomorrow is Saturday.
我今年二十八岁。
I’m 28 this year.
今天不是十号,是九号。
Today isn’t the 10th; it’s the 9th.
Learn this in HSK 1 · Lesson 8: 今天几月几号 (Dates and the calendar)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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