今天
jīn tiān · HSK 1
today
📅 今 (now) + 天 (day) = this day = today
今 means 'now/present' and 天 means 'day/sky'. Together 今天 literally reads as 'present day' — the day you're currently in. Compare 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow) and 昨天 (zuótiān, yesterday), which swap 今 for a different time marker.
天 — 一 (one/sky) above 大 (big person)
Originally a pictograph of a person (大) with an emphasized head, representing what is above — the sky or heavens. The top stroke evolved into 一, symbolizing the vast expanse overhead. From 'sky' it extended to mean 'day,' 'heaven,' and 'nature.'