lǐ bài
week; day of the week; religious service
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今天是星期一，我要去上班了。
jīntiān shì xīngqīyī, wǒ yào qù shàngbān le.
Today is Monday, I have to go to work.
明天是星期二，我要去上学了。
míngtiān shì xīngqīèr, wǒ yào qù shàngxué le.
Tomorrow is Tuesday, I have to go to school.
后天是星期三，我要去医院了。
hòutiān shì xīngqīsān, wǒ yào qù yīyuàn le.
The day after tomorrow is Wednesday, I have to go to the hospital.
星期 (xīngqī)
week
礼拜天 (lǐbàitiān)
Sunday
工作日 (gōngzuòrì)
workday
平日 (píngrì)
weekday
The Chinese word "礼拜" (lǐbài) for "worship" or "pay respect" has an interesting etymology. It consists of two characters: "礼" (lǐ) and "拜" (bài). "礼" originally meant "ritual" or "ceremony" in ancient Chinese, and it was often used in the context of religious or social customs. The character "拜" originally meant "to bow" or "to kneel down", and it was often used as a gesture of respect or submission. Over time, the combination of these two characters, "礼拜", came to be used specifically for the act of worshipping or paying respect to a deity, an ancestor, or a person of high status. In modern Chinese, "礼拜" is commonly used in the context of religious worship, but it can also be used in a more general sense to refer to showing respect or paying homage to someone or something.
