Time Words
- Days of the Week: Monday, Tuesday, etc.
- Dates: today, tomorrow, etc.
- Times of the Day: morning, afternoon, evening/night, etc.
- Specific Times: three o’clock, midnight, etc.
📗 Time Expression – Dates
📗 Time Expression – Week of Days
📗 Time Expression – Time
Time Words + Verb
Time words are usually placed before the verb in a sentence.
禮拜六你做什麼?礼拜六你做什么?
What are you doing on Saturday?
我上星期一沒上中文課我上星期一没上中文课
I didn’t attend Chinese class last Monday.
每週三咖啡買一送一每周三咖啡买一送一
Buy one coffee, get one free every Wednesday.
我每天早上七點起床我每天早上七点起床
I wake up at 7 o’clock every morning.
我今天上午有中文課我今天上午有中文课
I have Chinese class this morning.
他12月31號去美國他12月31号去美国
He leaves for the United States on December 31.
Duration Words
- one minute
- one hour
- two days
- three months
- a year and a half
📗 Time Measure words 1 – Minutes and Hour
📗 Time Measure words 2 – Day and Week
Verb + Duration Words + (de + Object)
我昨天只睡了4個鐘頭我昨天只睡了4个钟头
I only slept for 4 hours yesterday.
從我家到公司要坐1個鐘頭的車从我家到公司要坐1个钟头的车
It takes an hour to drive from my house to the office.
聖誕節我們要休息兩週圣诞节我们要休息两周
We will be on a two-week break for Christmas.
一個星期有七天一个星期有七天
A week has seven days.
我學了一年多的中文我学了一年多的中文
I have been studying Chinese for more than a year.
Duration Words + Negation
In Chinese, duration words are usually placed before the negation verb to indicate the duration of an action that won’t happen.
我兩年沒回國,真想我家人我两年没回国,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,所以三天不能上課我要去旅行,所以三天不能上课
I’m going on a trip, so I can’t attend class for three days.
老師要我們30分鐘不可以說英文老师要我们30分钟不可以说英文
The teacher asks us not to speak English for 30 minutes.