<p>有一天 - &quot;On one day&quot;.</p>
<p>一天 - &quot;One day&quot;, or &quot;A day&quot;.</p>
<p>Sometimes, there is no difference between the two, for example, the sentence below means the same with or without &quot;有&quot;.</p>
<ul>
<li>&quot;他從不提過去的遭遇. 但(有)一天心血來潮, 国王把他的故事告訴了一名作家...&quot;. Here, &quot;有&quot; makes the sentence more complete, but its presence is not absolutely necessary.</li>
</ul>
<p>However, &quot;有&quot; can't be eliminated for the (predictive) sentences below:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>有</strong>一天等我長大了</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>有</strong>一天我會告訴你</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T10:25:33.083Z
有一天 - "On one day".  Maybe "On that day"?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T11:27:03.967Z
@WayneCheah I think *There is one day" translated by TangHo on the OP's another post is better. Don't you feel "On that day" sounds like "那一天"?
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T12:29:07.170Z
"On one day" and *There is one day" sound awkward as English phrases. Anyway, on reflection, yes, "On that day" sounds like "那一天" It is difficult to translate precisely the nuances of 有一天 into a bite-size sensible English equivalent. Like "Once upon a time" has, usually, been translated as 曾几何时 which do not really capture the linguistic nuances of "Once upon a time". Another difficult phrase is "Time immemorial, or time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary"
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T12:47:02.507Z
@WayneCheah Yes, the difference is rather difficult to explain with merely a few words.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-15T15:01:52.097Z
2022-07-16T16:46:08.737Z
2022-07-16T16:46:08.737Z
r13
<p>Both &quot;一天&quot; and &quot;有一天&quot; serve as an adverbial of time, and there is a note of &quot;in the past&quot; in both of them, so we actually don't distinguish them. As to the effect of &quot;有&quot;, &quot;有&quot; is similiar to &quot;there be&quot; as @Tang Ho posted. So the two are like: &quot;one day&quot; &amp; &quot;there is one day&quot;. But I don't think &quot;有一天&quot; is equivalent to &quot;there is one day&quot;, because of the &quot;in the past&quot; note, while &quot;there is one day&quot; may occur when we make assumptions of the future.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-16T09:33:38.097Z
2022-07-16T09:33:38.097Z
x pie
<p>How does the “有“ affect the meaning of sentence?</p>
<p>‎What is the difference between 有一天国王把他的故事给一名作家 and 一天国王把他的故事给一名作家.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-15T18:38:40.973Z
see my answer to your other [post](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/51804/how-does-%e7%bb%99-change-verb-meaning/51805?noredirect=1#comment70576_51805)
Tang Ho
<grammar><meaning>
How does the “有“ affect the meaning of a sentence beginning 有一天 vs. 一天?
# How does the “有“ affect the meaning of a sentence beginning 有一天 vs. 一天?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-15)

How does the “有“ affect the meaning of sentence?

‎What is the difference between 有一天国王把他的故事给一名作家 and 一天国王把他的故事给一名作家.

**Tags:** grammar, meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: see my answer to your other [post](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/51804/how-does-%e7%bb%99-change-verb-meaning/51805?noredirect=1#comment70576_51805)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-15. Score: 1

有一天 - "On one day".

一天 - "One day", or "A day".

Sometimes, there is no difference between the two, for example, the sentence below means the same with or without "有".

* "他從不提過去的遭遇. 但(有)一天心血來潮, 国王把他的故事告訴了一名作家...". Here, "有" makes the sentence more complete, but its presence is not absolutely necessary.

However, "有" can't be eliminated for the (predictive) sentences below:

* **有**一天等我長大了
* **有**一天我會告訴你

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 有一天 - "On one day".  Maybe "On that day"?  
> **username_2**: @username_3 I think *There is one day" translated by username_1 on the OP's another post is better. Don't you feel "On that day" sounds like "那一天"?  
> **username_3**: "On one day" and *There is one day" sound awkward as English phrases. Anyway, on reflection, yes, "On that day" sounds like "那一天" It is difficult to translate precisely the nuances of 有一天 into a bite-size sensible English equivalent. Like "Once upon a time" has, usually, been translated as 曾几何时 which do not really capture the linguistic nuances of "Once upon a time". Another difficult phrase is "Time immemorial, or time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary"  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Yes, the difference is rather difficult to explain with merely a few words.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2022-07-16. Score: 0

Both "一天" and "有一天" serve as an adverbial of time, and there is a note of "in the past" in both of them, so we actually don't distinguish them. As to the effect of "有", "有" is similiar to "there be" as @username_1 posted. So the two are like: "one day" & "there is one day". But I don't think "有一天" is equivalent to "there is one day", because of the "in the past" note, while "there is one day" may occur when we make assumptions of the future.


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