周末
weekend
zhōumò
What does 周末 mean?
周末 (zhōumò) is the standard noun for 'weekend' — Saturday and Sunday combined. It functions as a time word, so it sits directly before the verb without a preposition: 我周末在家 ('I'm at home on the weekend'), 周末见 ('see you on the weekend'). Two things for learners. First, 周 (zhōu) and 星期 (xīngqī) both mean 'week,' but 周末 is fixed — you cannot say 星期末. The companion word 周一, 周二, etc.
('Monday, Tuesday') uses the same 周. Second, for 'this weekend' say 这个周末, for 'last weekend' 上个周末, for 'next weekend' 下个周末 — always with the measure word 个. To say something happens 'every weekend,' use 每个周末. The noun 末 means 'end,' so
Character breakdown
week; cycle
end; tip
Memory hook: 周 (week) + 末 (end) — literally 'week-end.' Direct match with English.
Measure word for 周末
Example sentences
周末你做什么？
Zhōumò nǐ zuò shénme?
What are you doing on the weekend?
spoken
这个周末我们去爬山。
Zhè ge zhōumò wǒmen qù pá shān.
This weekend we're going hiking.
spoken
周末愉快！
Zhōumò yúkuài!
Have a happy weekend!
spoken
他每个周末都去看妈妈。
Tā měi ge zhōumò dōu qù kàn māma.
He goes to see his mom every weekend.
neutral
周末商店人很多。
Zhōumò shāngdiàn rén hěn duō.
On weekends the stores are very crowded.
neutral
Common phrases with 周末
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
周末 appears in 1 podcast episode at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
礼拜天 means 'Sunday' specifically, not the whole weekend. 周末 covers both Saturday and Sunday. 礼拜 is a slightly older spoken word for 'week,' more common in southern Mainland and Taiwan.
Don't confuse 周末 with
星期 means 'week' (the seven-day unit). 周末 means 'weekend' (Sat + Sun). 星期天 is 'Sunday,' a single day; 周末 is the two-day weekend.
周 alone means 'week' or 'cycle.' 周末 specifically means 'weekend.' 这周 means 'this week'; 这个周末 means 'this weekend.'
末 alone means 'end/tip.' It appears in many compounds (月末 'end of month,' 年末 'end of year')