Is 天天 equivalent to 每天?

"天天" (tiān tiān) and "每天" (měi tiān) are synonyms in Chinese. However, they differ from each other in meanings and functions sometimes.

"天天" and "每天" 是同义词。但有时它们所表达的意义和功能并不一样。

1. They are not quite the same in meanings:

意义不完全相同： 

"天天" only indicates "one day after another", or simply "daily". "每天" emphasizes "every", namely, any day whatsoever. 

"天天"只表示"逐一"的意思，是"一天+一天+一天……" 的意思；"每天"则重在"每天"，即总体的天数中的任何一天。

For example: 

hǎo hǎo xué xí, tiān tiān xiàng shàng 

好好学习，天天向上。 

Study hard and make progress day by day.

hǎo hǎo xué xí, měi tiān xiàng shàng 

好好学习，每天向上。

Study hard and make progress every day.

"天天" herein contains the meaning of "getting better day after day", so it can't be substituted by "every day".

其中的"天天"含有"一天比一天好"的意思，所以不能换用"每天"。

tā měi tiān /tiān tiān dōu shì liù diǎn qǐ chuáng 

她每天/天天都是六点起床。

She gets up at 6 o'clock every day/ day to day.

Both "每天" and "天天" can be used in this sentence above, as there is only a slight difference in the meaning. "每天" refers to the situation where the same action happens every day. It highlights the action itself; while "天天" indicates that the same action happens every day, focusing on the repetition of the action. 

这个句子用"每天"、"天天" 都可以，意思上稍有差别。用"每天"表示许多天中，其中的任何一天都是如此，从微观角度具象地表述事件本身，突出了个体的特性；用"天天" 表示所有的天中，无一例外的全都是这样，从宏观视角度，强调了事件重复性发生的状态。 

2. Differences in functions:

功能用法不同： 

"天天" only serves as an adverbial, modifying verbs or adjectives. It also modifies nouns, which are limited to temporal nouns. Formed together with the temporal nouns, the compound serves as a temporal adverbial. "每天" can either be used as an adverbial, modifying verbs or adjectives, or as an attribute to modify substantives. 

"天天"只用作状语，修饰动词、形容词，如果修饰名词的话，一般只限于时间名词，与之共同构成时间状语；"每天"既可以用作状语，修饰动词、形容词，又可以用作定语，修饰名词性词语。

For example:

zhè gè xīng qī tiān tiān xià yǔ 

这个星期天天下雨。（状语）

It rained every day this week. (adverbial)

zuì jìn gōng zuò tài máng, bú néng tiān tiān huí jiā le

最近工作太忙，不能天天回家了。（状语）

I'm so busy that I can't go home every day recently. (adverbial)

tiān tiān wǎn shàng kàn diàn shì kě bù xíng 

天天晚上看电视可不行。（状语）

It's no good watching TV every day. (adverbial)

tā měi tiān dōu děi qù yòu ér yuán jiē hái zi

她每天都得去幼儿园接孩子。（状语）

She has to go to the kindergarten every day to pick the kids. (adverbial)

měi tiān de rì chéng dōu ān pái de hěn mǎn

每天的日程都安排得很满。（定语）

The schedule is quite full each day. (attribute)

The article is translated and editted by Chinlingo. Please indicate the source for any use, reproduction or transfer. 

本文由Chinlingo编译后发布，如需转载，请标明来源。