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今天 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
今天jīntiāntodayHSK 1, t, 8 strokes, rank #174, Easy
今天jīntiānat the presentHSK 1, t, 8 strokes, rank #174, Easy
今天jīntiānnowHSK 1, t, 8 strokes, rank #174, Easy
jīntiān(jin1tian1)jin tian T1
  1. 1today
  2. 2at the present
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March 24, 2026

今天jīntiān(jin1tian1)

今天 (jīn tiān) means 'today' and is used to refer to the current day. It is commonly used in conversations related to plans, events, or activities happening on the present day.

Strokes8Frequency#174DifficultyEasy
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 'today' emphasizes the importance of living in the moment and making the most of the present, which is often reflected in proverbs and sayings.

Memory tip

Imagine you are standing on a calendar, and above you, the sun is shining brightly, symbolizing 'today'. The character '今' looks like a person with arms raised in the present moment, while '天' represents the sky, reinforcing the idea of the current day.

Meanings of 今天

jīntiān(jin1tian1)
1today
2at the present
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 今天 means.

About 今天

今天Simplified
8Strokes
—Radical
时间词time word (t.)Part of Speech
#174Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 今天

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Podcast: 今天

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AI study notes for 今天

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 今天 with 明天 (míng tiān, 'tomorrow') or 昨天 (zuó tiān, 'yesterday'). It's important to use 今天 when discussing events that occur on the present day. The tone should be pronounced clearly to avoid misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 1 word, 今天 connects to other basic time-related words like 明天 and 昨天. Students should practice using today in sentences to build fluency in everyday discussions.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 今天 when they mean to say 明天, such as saying '今天我去工作' (jīn tiān wǒ qù gōngzuò) when they actually mean 'tomorrow'. Always remember to check the context of your sentence.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 今天

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Component characters

今jīntoday
HSK 14 strokes人
View full entry
天tiānday
HSK 14 strokes大
View full entry

How to say today in Chinese

“today” in Chinese is今天jīntiān

今天 (jīn tiān) means 'today' and is used to refer to the current day. It is commonly used in conversations related to plans, events, or activities happening on the present day.

When to use 今天

Learners often confuse 今天 with 明天 (míng tiān, 'tomorrow') or 昨天 (zuó tiān, 'yesterday'). It's important to use 今天 when discussing events that occur on the present day. The tone should be pronounced clearly to avoid misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 今天 when they mean to say 明天, such as saying '今天我去工作' (jīn tiān wǒ qù gōngzuò) when they actually mean 'tomorrow'. Always remember to check the context of your sentence.

Write 今天

今
天

Practice writing 今天 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 今天

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

____不冷。

Today is not cold.

Example sentences for 今天 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我今天上午努力熨完了所有的衣服。

wǒ jīntiān shàngwǔ nǔlì yù wánle suǒyǒu de yīfu。

I managed to get all the ironing done this morning.
2
你从今天早上就变卦了,是不是?

nǐ cóng jīntiān zǎoshang jiù biàn guà le, shìbùshì?

You've changed your tune since this morning, haven't you?
3
像往常一样,他今天穿的是三件套。

xiàng wǎngcháng yíyàng, tā jīntiān chuān de shì sān jiàn tào。

Today, as usual, he was wearing a three-piece suit.
4
今天地方选举的投票一开始就人头攒动。

jīntiān dìfang xuǎnjǔ de tóupiào yī kāishǐ jiù rén tóu cuán dòng。

There has been a busy start to polling in today's local elections.
5
今天迎接我们的将是非常忙碌的一天。

jīntiān yíngjiē wǒmen de jiāng shìfēi cháng mánglù de yī tiān。

We have a very busy day ahead of us today.
6
今天他将正式宣布参加总统竞选。

jīntiān tā jiāng zhèngshì xuānbù cānjiā zǒngtǒng jìngxuǎn。

Today he is formally announcing his candidacy for President.
7
今天,他方向的改变似乎更与时代合拍。

jīntiān, tā fāngxiàng de gǎibiàn sìhū gèng yǔ shídài gě pāi。

Today, his change of direction seems more in tune with the times.
8
今天一早,一枚“德尔塔”Ⅱ型火箭在卡纳维拉尔角发射升空。

jīntiān yìzǎo, yī méi“ dé ěr tǎ”Ⅱ xíng huǒjiàn zài kǎ nà wéi lā ěr jiǎo fāshè shēng kōng。

A Delta II rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral early this morning.
9
美元今天在东京继续保持强劲的走势。

měiyuán jīntiān zài dōng Jīng jìxù bǎochí qiángjìng de zǒu shì。

The US dollar continued its strong performance in Tokyo today.
10
首相在今天的会议开始之前作了发言。

shǒuxiàng zài jīntiān de huìyì kāishǐ zhīqián zuō le fāyán。

The Prime Minister was speaking ahead of today's meeting.
11
今天是星期五。

Jīntiān shì xīngqī wǔ.

Today is Friday.
12
今天我有中文课。

Jīntiān wǒ yǒu zhōngwén kè.

I have a Chinese class today.
13
今天天气很好。

Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.

The weather is nice today.
14
我们今天去公园玩吧。

Wǒmen jīntiān qù gōngyuán wán ba.

Let's go to the park today.
15
今天我想吃火锅。

Jīntiān wǒ xiǎng chī huǒguō.

Today I want to eat hot pot.
16
他今天没去上班。

Tā jīntiān méi qù shàngbān.

He didn't go to work today.

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Frequently asked questions about 今天

You can say '今天我去商店' (jīn tiān wǒ qù shāngdiàn) meaning 'Today I am going to the store.'

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