Temporal Expressions
Temporal expressions tell us when an event happens, happened, or will happen. They set the scene for time and guide listeners or readers through the sequence of events.
Key Vocabulary
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 时间 | shíjiān | time |
| 时候 | shíhòu | moment / time (when) |
| 年 | nián | year |
| 月 | yuè | month |
| 天 | tiān | day |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 🌅 早上 | zǎoshang | morning |
| 🌇 晚上 | wǎnshang | evening |
| 🌙 夜里 | yèlǐ | at night |
| 🕒 时候 | shíhou | time; moment |
| ⏰ 现在 | xiànzài | now |
| 🕰️ 以前 | yǐqián | before; ago |
| 🗓️ 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later |
| 📅 今天 | jīntiān | today |
| 📆 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow |
| 📇 昨天 | zuótiān | yesterday |
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Expressions for the Past
Expressions for the past anchor events to specific moments or durations that have ended. They often use markers like "ago," "last," or exact dates.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 以前 | yǐqián | before / ago |
| 去年 | qùnián | last year |
| 上个月 | shàng ge yuè | last month |
| 一天前 | yī tiān qián | one day ago |
| 曾经 | céngjīng | once / formerly |
| 以前的时候 | yǐqián de shíhòu | the time before / when ... earlier |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 🕰️ 我以前住在北京。 | Wǒ yǐqián zhù zài Běijīng. | I used to live in Beijing. |
| 🌇 昨天晚上我去了长江边。 | Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ qùle Chángjiāng biān. | Yesterday evening I went to the Yangtze River bank. |
| 🕒 三小时前开始下雨了。 | Sān xiǎoshí qián kāishǐ xià yǔ le. | It started raining three hours ago. |
| 🌉 昨天晚上江上的灯很漂亮。 | Zuótiān wǎnshang jiāng shàng de dēng hěn piàoliang. | The lights on the river were beautiful last night. |
| 🏙️ 以前我经常在江边散步。 | Yǐqián wǒ jīngcháng zài jiāng biān sànbù. | I used to often walk by the river. |
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Expressions for the Future
Future expressions point to times that have not yet arrived. They use words like "later," "next," and specific future dates or durations.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after / later |
| 明年 | míngnián | next year |
| 下个月 | xià ge yuè | next month |
| 一天后 | yī tiān hòu | one day later |
| 将来 | jiānglái | in the future |
| 以后 的 时候 | yǐhòu de shíhòu | the time after / when ... later |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 🗓️ 明天早上我想去江边看日出。 | Míngtiān zǎoshang wǒ xiǎng qù jiāng biān kàn rìchū. | Tomorrow morning I want to go to the riverbank to see the sunrise. |
| 🌅 后天我们计划坐船游长江。 | Hòutiān wǒmen jìhuà zuò chuán yóu Chángjiāng. | The day after tomorrow we plan to take a boat on the Yangtze. |
| ⏳ 还有两个小时船才开。 | Hái yǒu liǎng gè xiǎoshí chuán cái kāi. | The boat leaves in two hours. |
| 🌠 明晚江边有灯光节。 | Míng wǎn jiāng biān yǒu dēngguāng jié. | There is a light festival at the riverbank tomorrow night. |
| 📢 以后我会经常去江边跑步。 | Yǐhòu wǒ huì jīngcháng qù jiāng biān pǎobù. | I will often go running by the river from now on. |
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Expressions for the Present
Present expressions describe habitual times, ongoing moments, or general time references around now. They include "now," "currently," and typical times for routines.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 现在 | xiànzài | now |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | in the process of / currently |
| 每天 | měitiān | every day |
| 平时 | píngshí | usually / normally |
| 一般 | yìbān | generally / usually |
| 这个时候 | zhè ge shíhòu | this time (now) |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| ⏰ 我现在正在江边散步。 | Wǒ xiànzài zhèngzài jiāng biān sànbù. | I am taking a walk by the river right now. |
| 🌞 现在阳光照在水面上。 | Xiànzài yángguāng zhào zài shuǐmiàn shàng. | The sunlight is shining on the water now. |
| 🐦 江边现在有很多鸟在飞。 | Jiāng biān xiànzài yǒu hěn duō niǎo zài fēi. | There are many birds flying by the river now. |
| 🎣 现在有人在江边钓鱼。 | Xiànzài yǒu rén zài jiāng biān diàoyú. | Someone is fishing by the river now. |
| 🗣️ 我现在在给你发消息。 | Wǒ xiànzài zài gěi nǐ fā xiāoxi. | I am sending you a message now. |
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Using 时候 for Timing
shíhòu 时候 can attach to actions to specify moments when something happens. It appears as X 的时候 for particular times, or 大时候 for general periods.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 🌅 我早上五点的时候去了江边。 | Wǒ zǎoshang wǔ diǎn de shíhou qùle jiāng biān. | I went to the river at five in the morning. |
| 🌧️ 下雨的时候，我们在江边的亭子里躲雨。 | Xiàyǔ de shíhou, wǒmen zài jiāng biān de tíngzi lǐ duǒ yǔ. | When it rained, we took shelter in a pavilion by the river. |
| 🌇 天黑的时候，江边亮起了灯。 | Tiān hēi de shíhou, jiāng biān liàng qǐle dēng. | When it got dark, the lights by the river came on. |
| 🏞️ 散步的时候，我看到很多人在江边拍照。 | Sànbù de shíhou, wǒ kàn dào hěn duō rén zài jiāng biān pāizhào. | While walking, I saw many people taking photos by the river. |
| 🚶 回家的时候，我经过了江边的花坛。 | Huí jiā de shíhou, wǒ jīngguòle jiāng biān de huātán. | On the way home, I passed the flower beds by the river. |
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More Vocabulary
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 上午 | shàngwǔ | morning (before noon) |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon |
| 晚上 | wǎnshàng | evening / night |
| 早上 | zǎoshang | early morning |
| 半小时 | bàn xiǎoshí | half an hour |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 🚤 游船 | yóuchuán | cruise boat |
| 🌉 桥 | qiáo | bridge |
| 🏞️ 河岸 | hé'àn | riverbank |
| 🌇 傍晚 | bàngwǎn | dusk |
| 🌕 月亮 | yuèliang | moon |
| 🎆 烟花 | yánhua | fireworks |
| 🧭 指南针 | zhǐnánzhēn | compass |
| 🗺️ 地图 | dìtú | map |
| 🧺 野餐 | yěcān | picnic |
| 🏮 灯笼 | dēnglóng | lantern |
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Summary
Temporal expressions frame events in time and help listeners understand when things happen. Practice key vocabulary for past, present, and future to describe time clearly.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025