One Year 一年 | Learn Chinese with Yoyo Mo

中文里的12个月的名字非常简单  

Zhōngwén lǐ de shí'èr gè yuè de míngzi fēicháng jiǎndān  

The names of the 12 months in Chinese are very simple  

一月，二月，三月  

Yī yuè, èr yuè, sān yuè  

January, February, March  

一直到十二月  

Yìzhí dào shí'èr yuè  

all the way to December  

以前我的一个英国朋友却说  

Yǐqián wǒ de yīgè Yīngguó péngyǒu què shuō  

Once, a British friend of mine said, however  

虽然简单，但是每次都要去数  

Suīrán jiǎndān, dànshì měi cì dōu yào qù shǔ  

Although they are simple, you have to count them every time  

她的话让我看到了不同语言的思维差异  

Tā de huà ràng wǒ kàndào le bùtóng yǔyán de sīwéi chāyì  

Her words made me see the differences in thinking between different languages  

我觉得英语的月份更难  

Wǒ juédé Yīngyǔ de yuèfèn gèng nán  

I think English months are more difficult  

因为每个月都有不同的名字  

Yīnwèi měi gè yuè dōu yǒu bùtóng de míngzi  

Because each month has a different name  

而且似乎毫无关联  

Érqiě sìhū háo wú guānlián  

and they seem to have no connection at all  

英语国家的人觉得中文的月份更难  

Yīngyǔ guójiā de rén juédé Zhōngwén de yuèfèn gèng nán  

People from English-speaking countries find Chinese months more difficult  

因为要去数现在是第几个月  

Yīnwèi yào qù shǔ xiànzài shì dì jǐ gè yuè  

Because they have to count which month it is now  

同样的，中文里一周的名字也很简单  

Tóngyàng de, Zhōngwén lǐ yī zhōu de míngzi yě fēicháng jiǎndān  

Similarly, the names of the days of the week in Chinese are also very simple  

周一，周二，一直到周日  

Zhōu yī, Zhōu èr, yìzhí dào Zhōu rì  

Monday, Tuesday, all the way to Sunday  

周日之所以不叫周七  

Zhōu rì zhī suǒyǐ bù jiào Zhōu qī  

The reason Sunday is not called "Week Seven"  

是因为它是礼拜日  

Shì yīnwèi tā shì Lǐbài Rì  

is because it is the day for worship)  

我们也把周一至周六叫做礼拜一至礼拜六  

Wǒmen yě bǎ Zhōu yī zhì Zhōu liù jiàozuò Lǐbài Yī zhì Lǐbài Liù  

We also call Monday to Saturday 礼拜一 to 礼拜六  

这样的说法多用于口语中  

Zhèyàng de shuōfǎ duō yòng yú kǒuyǔ zhōng  

This way of speaking is mostly used in spoken language  

还可以说星期一，星期二，直到星期日  

Hái kěyǐ shuō Xīngqī Yī, Xīngqī Èr, zhídào Xīngqī Rì  

We can also say "Monday" (Xīngqī Yī), "Tuesday" (Xīngqī Èr), all the way to "Sunday" (Xīngqī Rì)  

这个疑惑同样也存在于以中文为母语的小朋友身上  

Zhège yíhuò tóngyàng yě cúnzài yú yǐ Zhōngwén wèi mǔyǔ de xiǎopéngyǒu shēnshàng  

This confusion also exists among children who speak Chinese as their mother tongue  

像我的孩子，她们会有些疑惑  

Xiàng wǒ de háizi, tāmen huì yǒuxiē yíhuò  

For example, my children have some doubts about this  

我也不是很好解释其中原因  

Wǒ yě bù shì hěn hǎo jiěshì qízhōng yuányīn  

I also find it hard to explain the reason behind it  

因为她们还不懂礼拜的意思  

Yīnwèi tāmen hái bù dǒng lǐbài de yìsi  

Because they don't yet understand the meaning of "worship"  

所以我和她们以前一直说周七或星期七  

Suǒyǐ wǒ hé tāmen yǐqián yìzhí shuō Zhōu qī huò Xīngqī Qī  

So in the past, I always said 周七or 星期七 with them  

我的理念是  

Wǒ de lǐniàn shì  

My philosophy is  

孩子开心轻松  

Háizi kāixīn qīngsōng  

as long as the children are happy and relaxed  

不要在乎那些条条框框  

Bùyào zàihū nàxiē tiáotiáokuàngkuàng  

don't worry about those rigid rules  

我们再来看四个季节  

Wǒmen zài lái kàn sì gè jìjié  

Let's take a look at the four seasons  

春天，夏天，秋天，冬天  

Chūntiān, xiàtiān, qiūtiān, dōngtiān  

spring, summer, autumn, winter  

更为书面化的说法是  

Gèng wéi shūmiàn huà de shuōfǎ shì  

A more formal written expression is  

春季，夏季，秋季，冬季  

Chūnjì, xiàjì, qiūjì, dōngjì  

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter  

比如，夏季奥运会和冬季奥运会  

Bǐrú, Xiàjì Àoyùnhuì hé Dōngjì Àoyùnhuì  

For example, the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics  

学生的春季学期和秋季学期  

Xuéshēng de Chūnjì Xuéqī hé Qiūjì Xuéqī  

students' spring semester and autumn semester  

还有一种说法是春日，夏日，秋日，冬日  

Hái yǒu yī zhǒng shuōfǎ shì chūnrì, xiàrì, qiūrì, dōngrì  

There is another way to say it: "spring day" (chūnrì), "summer day" (xiàrì), "autumn day" (qiūrì), "winter day" (dōngrì)  

这种说法就比较诗意  

Zhè zhǒng shuōfǎ jiù bǐjiào shīyì  

This expression is more poetic

比如，春日郊游，春天里的郊游  

Bǐrú, chūnrì jiāoyóu, chūntiān lǐ de jiāoyóu  

For example, "spring outing" – an outing in spring