xià ge xīngqī: 下个星期 - Next Week

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• Summary: Learn how to say “next week” in Chinese with this complete guide to 下个星期 (xià ge xīngqī). As one of the most essential time phrases in Mandarin, understanding 下个星期 is crucial for making plans, scheduling appointments, and talking about the future. This entry breaks down the characters, provides cultural context for planning in China, and offers numerous practical example sentences to help you master its usage in everyday conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xià ge xīngqī
• Part of Speech: Time Noun / Noun Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: The week that follows the current week.
• In a Nutshell: 下个星期 (xià ge xīngqī) is the most common and direct way to say “next week” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a fundamental vocabulary word used daily by native speakers for planning and scheduling. Think of it as the go-to phrase for any future event happening in the week after this one.

• 下 (xià): While it can mean “down” or “under,” in the context of time, it means “next” or “following.” It points to the next unit in a sequence.
• 个 (ge): The most common measure word in Chinese. It's used here to count the “week.” You can think of it as “the next one week.”
• 星期 (xīngqī): The word for “week.” It's composed of 星 (xīng), meaning “star,” and 期 (qī), meaning “a period of time.”

The characters combine logically: 下 (next) + 个 (measure word) + 星期 (week) = the next week.

The phrase 下个星期 itself is a direct translation of “next week” and doesn't carry deep, hidden cultural meanings. However, its use is tied to the cultural approach to time and planning. In many Western cultures, making a plan for “next week” is often seen as a firm commitment. In China, while 下个星期 is used for concrete scheduling, plans can sometimes be more fluid. A plan made for 下个星期 might be considered a strong intention rather than an unchangeable appointment, and it's common to re-confirm details closer to the date. This isn't a sign of unreliability but rather a cultural preference for flexibility and adapting to changing circumstances. Furthermore, Chinese specifies time from the largest unit to the smallest (Year > Month > Week > Day), the opposite of the common English pattern. So you would say “下个星期三” (Next Week Wednesday), keeping the larger time frame (week) before the smaller one (day).

下个星期 is a high-frequency, all-purpose term used in virtually every aspect of modern life.

• Casual Conversation: It's the standard way to make plans with friends and family. For example, “我们下个星期去吃饭吧” (Wǒmen xià ge xīngqī qù chīfàn ba) - “Let's go eat next week.”
• Business and Formal Settings: The phrase is perfectly acceptable in the workplace for setting meetings, deadlines, and project timelines. Its slightly more concise synonym, 下周 (xià zhōu), might be more common in formal writing, but 下个星期 is universally understood and used.
• Digital Communication: You will see and use it constantly in WeChat messages, emails, and social media posts when coordinating activities.

Its connotation is entirely neutral. It simply states a future time frame without any inherent positive or negative feeling.

• Example 1:
  • 我下个星期很忙。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xià ge xīngqī hěn máng.
  • English: I am very busy next week.
  • Analysis: A simple, common statement about your availability. This is a fundamental sentence structure for beginners.
• Example 2:
  • 我们下个星期三见面，怎么样？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xià ge xīngqī sān jiànmiàn, zěnmeyàng?
  • English: Let's meet next Wednesday, how about that?
  • Analysis: This shows how to specify a day within the next week. Notice the word order: “next week” comes before “Wednesday.”
• Example 3:
  • 这个项目下个星期必须完成。
  • Pinyin: Zhè ge xiàngmù xià ge xīngqī bìxū wánchéng.
  • English: This project must be completed next week.
  • Analysis: Used in a work or academic context to set a firm deadline.
• Example 4:
  • 你下个星期有空吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xià ge xīngqī yǒu kòng ma?
  • English: Are you free next week?
  • Analysis: A key question for initiating plans with someone.
• Example 5:
  • 下个星期的天气会很好。
  • Pinyin: Xià ge xīngqī de tiānqì huì hěn hǎo.
  • English: The weather next week will be very good.
  • Analysis: Here, 下个星期 acts as the subject of the sentence, modified by “的 (de)” to mean “next week's (weather).”
• Example 6:
  • 她计划下个星期去上海出差。
  • Pinyin: Tā jìhuà xià ge xīngqī qù Shànghǎi chūchāi.
  • English: She plans to go to Shanghai on a business trip next week.
  • Analysis: A common sentence for talking about travel or work plans.
• Example 7:
  • 电影票我已经买好了，是下个星期五的。
  • Pinyin: Diànyǐng piào wǒ yǐjīng mǎi hǎo le, shì xià ge xīngqī wǔ de.
  • English: I've already bought the movie tickets; they are for next Friday.
  • Analysis: Shows how to specify that something belongs to a future time, using “是…的” (shì…de) to add emphasis.
• Example 8:
  • 下个星期是我的生日。
  • Pinyin: Xià ge xīngqī shì wǒ de shēngrì.
  • English: Next week is my birthday.
  • Analysis: A simple and happy announcement.
• Example 9:
  • 我得在下个星期开始前找到新工作。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ děi zài xià ge xīngqī kāishǐ qián zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò.
  • English: I have to find a new job before next week starts.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how to use “before” (以前/前) with the time phrase.
• Example 10:
  • 他说他下个星期会给我回电话。
  • Pinyin: Tā shuō tā xià ge xīngqī huì gěi wǒ huí diànhuà.
  • English: He said he would call me back next week.
  • Analysis: This shows reported speech, referring to a future event from a past point of view.

• Forgetting “个 (ge)”: A very common mistake for beginners is to say “下星期 (xià xīngqī)”. While people might understand you, it sounds unnatural in most spoken contexts. Always remember to include the measure word 个 (ge). Correct: 下个星期.
• 下个星期 vs. 下周 (xià zhōu): These two terms are synonyms. 下个星期 is more common in everyday spoken Chinese. 下周 (xià zhōu), which literally means “next week,” is more concise and is often preferred in writing, news reports, and more formal business communication. As a beginner, you can use 下个星期 everywhere and be perfectly understood.
• Mixing up 下 (xià) and 上 (shàng): This is a critical distinction. 下 (xià) means “next,” while 上 (shàng) means “last” or “previous.”
  • Correct: 下个星期 (xià ge xīngqī) = Next week.
  • Correct: 上个星期 (shàng ge xīngqī) = Last week.
  • Incorrect: Using one when you mean the other will lead to major scheduling confusion!

• 下周 (xià zhōu) - A direct, slightly more formal synonym for “next week.”
• 上个星期 (shàng ge xīngqī) - The direct antonym, meaning “last week.”
• 这个星期 (zhè ge xīngqī) - “This week,” the current week.
• 周末 (zhōumò) - “Weekend.” Often used with time words, e.g., “下个周末” (next weekend).
• 下个月 (xià ge yuè) - “Next month.” It follows the same grammatical pattern.
• 明年 (míngnián) - “Next year.” Note that it uses 明 (míng), like “tomorrow,” not 下 (xià).
• 后天 (hòutiān) - “The day after tomorrow.”
• 星期一 (xīngqīyī) to 星期日 (xīngqīrì) - The days of the week, often appended after 下个星期.
• 安排 (ānpái) - “To arrange” or “arrangement/plan.” A verb frequently used when discussing plans for next week.
• 计划 (jìhuà) - “To plan” or “a plan.” A noun/verb that pairs well with 下个星期.