What's the difference between 季 (jì) and 天 (tiān) for seasons?
Great question! Both 天 (tiān) and 季 (jì) can relate to seasons in some way, but they have different meanings and usages in Chinese. 🌤️ 1. 天 (tiān) = Sky / Day / Weather / Heaven Basic meanings: Sky (e.g., 蓝天 lántiān – blue sky) Day (e.g., 今天 jīntiān – today) Weather (e.g., 天气 tiānqì – weather) Heaven or fate (philosophical or religious use) Not used directly for “season”, but may appear in expressions like: 天冷了 (Tiān lěng le) – "It’s getting cold" (suggesting the arrival of winter) 春天 (chūntiān) – "Spring" (literally "spring sky" or "springtime") 夏天 (xiàtiān) – summer 冬天 (dōngtiān) – winter 秋天 (qiūtiān) – autumn > So here "天" is used like "time" or "period" rather than "season" as a noun. 🌱 2. 季 (jì) = Season 季节 (jìjié) means season (like spring, summer…) 四季 sìjì – "the four seasons" 季度 jìdù – "quarter" (used in business/finance) Examples: 春季 chūnjì – spring 夏季 xiàjì ...