Common Chinese Time Adverbs

English

Table of Contents

Introduction

Time adverbs, which help to indicate the exact timing of events, are a fundamental aspect of the Mandarin language. They are crucial for the accurate communication and understanding of temporal concepts by non-native speakers. In this post, a handful of the most common time adverbs in Mandarin will be discussed.

Present Time

现在 (xiàn zài): now
今天 (jīn tiān): today
这会儿 (zhè huìr): right now, this moment
现今(xiànjīn): present
当前(dāngqián)：current

Past Time

昨天 (zuó tiān): yesterday
刚刚 (gāng gāng) &刚才 (gāng cái): just a moment ago
前天 (qián tiān): the day before yesterday
上个月 (shàng gè yuè): last month
去年 (qù nián): last year
以前 (yǐ qián): before, in the past

Future Time

明天 (míng tiān): tomorrow
后天 (hòu tiān): the day after tomorrow
下个月 (xià gè yuè): next month
明年 (míng nián): next year
将来 (jiāng lái): in the future

Frequency

每天 (měi tiān): every day
有时 (yǒu shí): sometimes
通常 (tōng cháng): usually, normally
常常 (cháng cháng): often
从不 (cóng bù): never
总是 (zǒng shì): always

Duration

一会儿 (yī huǐr): a while, a moment
全天 (quán tiān): all day
终日 (zhōng rì): all day long, the whole day
一生 (yī shēng): all one’s life, lifetime
一直 (yī zhí): continuously, straight

Sequence

先 (xiān): first
然后 (rán hòu): then
最后 (zuì hòu): finally, at last
以后 (yǐ hòu): after, later
之前 (zhī qián): before

Specific Timing

午夜 (wǔ yè): midnight
清晨 (qīng chén): early morning
中午 (zhōng wǔ): noon
下午 (xià wǔ): afternoon
晚上 (wǎn shàng): evening, night

By becoming familiar with these adverbs and expanding your vocabulary, you can effectively communicate time-related ideas in Chinese. Keep in mind that practice is crucial. Try to utilize these terms in sentences to aid in comprehension.

Contact our head teacher Chen Huimin at info@lcchineseschool.com if you want to learn Chinese or have additional questions about our Chinese programs.

Learn about our Internship Program in China.

Learn about holidays in China in 2023.

Get free Chinese learning resources.