<p>If you're specifically talking about mentioning dates, then you have understood this correctly. I have never seen 号 on my work documents or when I was signing contracts in China. I see 年——月——日 every time instead. In colloquial speech, 号 is used.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-16T06:29:44.523Z
2021-02-16T06:29:44.523Z
Soroush
<p>在表达日期时候，日和号是同样的意思。但其他情况不一定。日通常表示day, 号通常表示number</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-13T10:12:04.053Z
2021-02-13T10:12:04.053Z
Edison
<p>日：day；号：the rank number</p>

<p>11号：the 11th day of the month. But Chinese prefer a concise expression, just 11th,that is 11号</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-18T06:42:29.110Z
2019-06-18T06:42:29.110Z
cauckf
<p>如果表示日期的时候既有月又有日，比如</p>
<blockquote>
<p>11月11日， 11月11号</p>
</blockquote>
<p>没什么区别。</p>
<p>如果只说日，不带月，应该用号，比如</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我5号的时候有个会议。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>如果这里用5日，不自然。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-13T13:41:15.467Z
2021-02-13T13:41:15.467Z
Zhang
<p>You are correct, 日 is more formal than 号。</p>
<p>When chatting with someone, you would normally use 号 instead of 日，in this case, saying 日 feels a little bit weird.</p>
<p>But when you are writing a document, you would want to use 日 unless you are writing a transcript of people chatting with each other.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-13T14:39:49.967Z
2021-02-17T05:44:00.633Z
2021-02-17T05:44:00.633Z
zyy
<p>I was reading a conversation and came to these sentences :</p>
<blockquote>
<p>爸爸 ：双十一是什么？</p>
<p>妈妈 ：就是11月11号的网上购物节，在网上买东西很便宜。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I was wondering why it's 号 instead of 日. I then checked it on the dictionary and found out that 号 can mean &quot;the day of the month&quot;.</p>
<p>I have looked for an answer but not sure whether or not what I found is correct. It's said that 日 is more formal than 号 and that 号 is used when you speak casually.
Is that true? And is there any more difference between both words?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-13T14:28:32.937Z
Yes, what you said is correct for your context.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-18T11:00:39.877Z
**X 号** originally means **Number X**, but still used for day of month in spoken language, **X 日** is used in written language.
xenophōn
<usage><difference>
The difference between : 日 vs 号
# The difference between : 日 vs 号

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-13)

I was reading a conversation and came to these sentences :

> 爸爸 ：双十一是什么？
>
> 妈妈 ：就是11月11号的网上购物节，在网上买东西很便宜。

I was wondering why it's 号 instead of 日. I then checked it on the dictionary and found out that 号 can mean "the day of the month".

I have looked for an answer but not sure whether or not what I found is correct. It's said that 日 is more formal than 号 and that 号 is used when you speak casually.
Is that true? And is there any more difference between both words?

Thank you.

**Tags:** usage, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, what you said is correct for your context.  
> **username_2**: **X 号** originally means **Number X**, but still used for day of month in spoken language, **X 日** is used in written language.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2018-11-13. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

You are correct, 日 is more formal than 号。

When chatting with someone, you would normally use 号 instead of 日，in this case, saying 日 feels a little bit weird.

But when you are writing a document, you would want to use 日 unless you are writing a transcript of people chatting with each other.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-02-16. Score: 1

If you're specifically talking about mentioning dates, then you have understood this correctly. I have never seen 号 on my work documents or when I was signing contracts in China. I see 年——月——日 every time instead. In colloquial speech, 号 is used.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-02-13. Score: 1

在表达日期时候，日和号是同样的意思。但其他情况不一定。日通常表示day, 号通常表示number


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-06-18. Score: 1

日：day；号：the rank number

11号：the 11th day of the month. But Chinese prefer a concise expression, just 11th,that is 11号


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2021-02-13. Score: 0

如果表示日期的时候既有月又有日，比如

> 11月11日， 11月11号

没什么区别。

如果只说日，不带月，应该用号，比如

> 我5号的时候有个会议。

如果这里用5日，不自然。


---

