Chinese uses two different kinds of time expressions, and they sit in different spots in a sentence. A time word says when something happens (Saturday, this morning). A duration word says how long it happens (two hours, three days) — and the two follow completely different placement rules.
一 Time Words
Time words answer “when.” They cover a few categories:
Category
Examples
Days of the week
Monday, Tuesday…
Dates
today, tomorrow…
Times of day
morning, afternoon, evening…
Specific clock times
three o’clock, midnight…
二 Time Word + Verb
Time words are almost always placed before the verb in a sentence.
(Subject +) Time Word + Verb
禮拜六礼拜六你做什麼什么？
What are you doing on Saturday?
我上星期一沒没上中文課课
I didn’t attend Chinese class last Monday.
每週三周三咖啡買一送一买一送一
Buy one coffee, get one free every Wednesday.
我每天早上早上七點点起床
I wake up at 7 o’clock every morning.
我今天上午有中文課课
I have Chinese class this morning.
他12月31號号去美國美国
He leaves for the United States on December 31.
三 Duration Words
Duration words answer “how long,” not “when.”
Category
Examples
Short spans
one minute, one hour
Days
two days
Longer spans
three months, a year and a half
四 Duration Word Placement
Verb + Duration + (的 + Object)
For a positive statement, the duration word comes right after the verb. If there’s an object, link it with 的.
Subject + Verb + Duration + (的 + Object)
我昨天只睡了4個个鐘頭钟头
I only slept for 4 hours yesterday.
從从我家到公司要坐1個个鐘頭钟头的車车
It takes an hour to drive from my house to the office.
聖誕節圣诞节我們我们要休息兩两週周
We will be on a two-week break for Christmas.
一個个星期有七天
A week has seven days.
我學学了一年多的中文
I have been studying Chinese for more than a year.
Duration + Negation
To say how long an action won’t or hasn’t happened, the duration word comes before the negation, not after.
Subject + Duration + 沒没 / 不能 + Verb
我兩年两年沒没回國回国，真想我家人
I haven’t been back to my country for two years. I miss my family.
我要去旅行，所以三天不能上課上课
I’m going on a trip, so I can’t attend class for three days.
老師老师要我們我们30分鐘分钟不可以說说英文
The teacher asks us not to speak English for 30 minutes.
五 Common Mistakes
❌ 你做什麼什么禮拜六礼拜六？
✅ 禮拜六礼拜六你做什麼什么？
A time word goes before the verb, not after it.
❌ 我沒没兩年两年回國回国
✅ 我兩年两年沒没回國回国
A duration word goes before the negation, not after it.
❌ 我坐了一個个鐘頭钟头車车
✅ 我坐了一個个鐘頭钟头的車车
When a duration word is followed by an object, 的 links them together — it can’t be dropped.
六 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. Some questions accept more than one correct order — a time word can go before or after the subject. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like — or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck.
Question 1 of 10
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
明天你做什麼什么？
明天 (a time word) can go before the subject 你, or right after it (你明天做什麼什么？) — both are correct.
“I didn’t go to work last Friday.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我上星期五沒没上班
The time word 上星期五 can come right after the subject, or before it (上星期五我沒没上班) — both are correct.
“I go to bed at eleven every night.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我每天晚上晚上十一點点睡覺睡觉
The full time phrase 每天晚上十一點十一点 can follow the subject, or come before it — both are correct.
“I watched TV for two hours yesterday.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我昨天看了兩個个鐘頭钟头的電視电视
Verb + Duration + 的 + Object comes after the subject. The time word 昨天 can follow 我, or come before it (昨天我看了…) — both are correct.
“A month has thirty days.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
一個个月有三十天
Same pattern as “一個星期一个星期有七天” — the duration is the object of 有.
“It takes half an hour to walk from school to the park.”
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❌ Try Again
從从學校学校到公園公园要走半個个鐘頭钟头
No object after the duration here, so no 的 is needed — the duration just follows the verb 走.
“I haven’t eaten breakfast for three days.”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
我三天沒没吃早飯早饭
三天 comes before 沒没, and can follow the subject or come before it — both orders are correct.
“She’s going on vacation, so she can’t work for a week.”
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她要去度假，所以一個个星期不能工作
Same shape as “三天不能上課上课” — the duration goes before 不能.
“He arrives in Taipei on January 5.”
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他一月五號号到台北
The date 一月五號号 has to come before the verb 到, not after it.
“I’ve been learning guitar for two years.”
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❌ Try Again
我學学了兩年两年的吉他
吉他 needs 的 in front of it here, since it follows a duration — the bare 吉他 tile is a distractor.
