Hello. In our previous lessons, we built the ability to state dates and specific times on the clock. You've seen how Chinese organizes this information logically, moving from larger units like years down to smaller ones like minutes. This lesson will add the final layers to that system, enabling you to situate any event precisely within the flow of a day.
Our goal is to learn and use the essential time-of-day words. Specifically, we will cover words for "today," "yesterday," and "tomorrow" (今天, 昨天, 明天), as well as the terms for different parts of the day like "morning" and "afternoon" (上午, 中午, 下午, 晚上). By the end of this lesson, you will be able to combine these new words with your knowledge of dates and clock times to form complete and precise time expressions.
Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
Let's begin with the three most fundamental words for orienting ourselves in time relative to the present: today, yesterday, and tomorrow. In Chinese, these are single, two-character words that function as time nouns.
The image below, "Past Present Future," provides a clear visual structure. Focus on the bottom row for "day" (日, rì or 天, tiān). You'll see the words for today, yesterday, and tomorrow laid out in a logical sequence.
Here is the core vocabulary:
- 今天 (jīntiān): Today
- 昨天 (zuótiān): Yesterday
- 明天 (míngtiān): Tomorrow
To hear the correct pronunciation and see these words used in simple sentences, please watch the following segment from a Harbin Mandarin video.
The Days of the Week in Mandarin Chinese | Beginner Lesson 6 | HSK 1
This video introduces the days of the week, but we'll focus on the section about relative days.
Watch the segment from this timestamp, where the instructor introduces and pronounces 今天 (jīntiān), 明天 (míngtiān), and 昨天 (zuótiān).
In a sentence, these time words are typically placed near the beginning, before the verb, to establish the time frame.
For example:
- 今天是星期三。(Jīntiān shì xīngqīsān.) - Today is Wednesday.
- 我明天很忙。(Wǒ míngtiān hěn máng.) - I am busy tomorrow.
- 昨天天气很好。(Zuótiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.) - The weather was very good yesterday.
For a quick textual review of these words, you can consult the "Mandarin Blueprint" guide.
Complete Guide to Time in Chinese | Mandarin Blueprint
This section provides a straightforward list of time period vocabulary.
In the article, find the heading "Talking about time periods in Chinese." Focus on the list that includes these three words.
Dividing the Day: Morning, Noon, Afternoon, Evening
Unlike English, which relies heavily on "a.m." and "p.m.", Mandarin uses a more descriptive system, dividing the day into distinct periods. Using these words is not optional; it's the standard way to clarify which part of the day you're referring to.
The main time periods you need for HSK 1 are:
- 上午 (shàngwǔ): Morning (approx. 9 a.m. to noon)
- 中午 (zhōngwǔ): Noon (approx. noon to 1 p.m.)
- 下午 (xiàwǔ): Afternoon (approx. 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
- 晚上 (wǎnshang): Evening / Night (approx. 6 p.m. to midnight)
You may also encounter 早上 (zǎoshang), which means "early morning" (approx. 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.). It's very common and useful to know.
This infographic neatly summarizes the "big to small" time order, showing how a period of the day like 下午 (xiàwǔ) precedes the clock time.
The following video from Harbin Mandarin provides an excellent, systematic walkthrough of these time periods. It covers their pronunciation, approximate time ranges, and usage.
Daily Time Periods in Mandarin Chinese (Telling Time Part 2) | Beginner Lesson 11 | HSK 1
This video is dedicated to explaining the daily time periods in Chinese.
Watch from the beginning until the end. The instructor will cover: 早上 (zǎoshang) - early morning 上午 (shàngwǔ) - morning (before noon) 中午 (zhōngwǔ) - noon/midday 下午 (xiàwǔ) - afternoon 晚上 (wǎnshang) - evening/night Pay close attention to the examples showing how the time period word comes before the clock time, such as 下午四点 (xiàwǔ sì diǎn) for 4 p.m.
For a detailed textual breakdown, the "Nemorize" lesson guide is very helpful. It provides a clear table and reinforces the grammatical rules.
This guide clearly explains the structure and usage of time-of-day words.
First, read the table under "Core Concept 1" that lists the Daily Time Periods, which gives you a good sense of the typical hours for each term. Then, jump to the "Language Tip" near the end of the page, which explains why these words are necessary in place of a.m./p.m.
Combining Time Words: The "Big to Small" Rule in Action
The true power of this system comes from combining these words, always following the "big to small" sequence. This is a consistent rule across all Chinese time expressions.
The structure is: Day + Part of Day + Clock Time
Let's look at some examples:
- 今天上午 (jīntiān shàngwǔ): This morning
- 昨天晚上 (zuótiān wǎnshang): Yesterday evening
- 明天下午三点 (míngtiān xiàwǔ sān diǎn): Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
Now, let's form a complete sentence that integrates concepts from previous lessons:
- 我 明天下午两点半 有一个会议。
- Wǒ míngtiān xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn bàn yǒu yí ge huìyì.
- I have a meeting tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
Notice the logical flow:
- 明天 (míngtiān): The day (largest unit).
- 下午 (xiàwǔ): The part of the day (medium unit).
- 两点半 (liǎng diǎn bàn): The specific clock time (smallest unit), correctly using 两 (liǎng) for two o'clock.
This predictable, algorithmic structure is a core feature of Mandarin grammar.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you've added the final components needed to specify time with precision. By combining relative days, parts of the day, and clock time, you can now construct any time expression required for HSK 1.
Key Takeaways:
- The essential words for relative days are 今天 (jīntiān), 昨天 (zuótiān), and 明天 (míngtiān).
- Instead of a.m./p.m., Chinese uses words to divide the day: 上午 (shàngwǔ), 中午 (zhōngwǔ), 下午 (xiàwǔ), and 晚上 (wǎnshang).
- The unbreakable rule for ordering time expressions is "big to small". The sequence is always: Day → Part of Day → Clock Time. For example:
明天 (day) + 上午 (part of day) + 十点 (clock time).
Next Lesson Preview:
We have now thoroughly covered the HSK 1 vocabulary for numbers, dates, and time. In our next lesson, we will round out this module by learning how to ask and answer questions about age using 岁 (suì) and 多大 (duō dà), and how to differentiate between the question words 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshao) when asking "how many."