Chinese Time Word and Duration

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lǐbàiliù你nǐ做zuò什麼shénme？ 礼拜六lǐbàiliù你nǐ做zuò什么shénme？
What are you doing on Saturday?

我wǒ上shàng星期一xīngqíyī沒méi上shàng中文zhōngwén課kè我wǒ上shàng星期一xīngqīyī没méi上shàng中文zhōngwén课kè
I didn’t attend Chinese class last Monday.

每měi週三zhōusān咖啡kāfēi買mǎi一yī送sòng一yī每měi周三zhōusān咖啡kāfēi买mǎi一yī送sòng一yī
Buy one coffee, get one free every Wednesday.

我wǒ每天měitiān早上zǎoshàng七qī點diǎn起床qǐcháig我wǒ每天měitiān早上zǎoshang七qī点diǎn起床qǐcháig
I wake up at 7 o’clock every morning.

我wǒ今天jīntiān上午shàngwǔ有yǒu中文zhōngwén課kè我wǒ今天jīntiān上午shàngwǔ有yǒu中文zhōngwén课kè
I have Chinese class this morning.

他tā12 月yuè31 1號hào去qù美國měiguó他tā12 月yuè31 号hào去qù美国měiguó
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wǒ昨天zuótiān只zhǐ睡shuì了le4 個ge鐘頭zhōngtóu我wǒ昨天zuótiān只zhǐ睡shuì了le4 个ge钟头zhōngtóu
I only slept for 4 hours yesterday.

從cóng我家wǒjiā到dào公司gōngsī要yào坐zuò1 個ge鐘頭zhōngtóu的de車chē从cóng我家wǒjiā到dào公司gōngsī要yào坐zuò1 个ge钟头zhōngtóu的de车chē
It takes an hour to drive from my house to the office.

聖誕節shèngdànjié我們wǒmen要yào休息xiūxí兩liǎng週zhōu圣诞节shèngdànjié我们wǒmen要yào休息xiūxi两liǎng周zhōu
We will be on a two-week break for Christmas.

一yí個ge星期xīngqí有yǒu七qī天tiān一yí个ge星期xīngqī有yǒu七qī天tiān
A week has seven days.

我wǒ學xué了le一年yìnián多duō的de中文zhōngwén我wǒ学xué了le一年yìnián多duō的de中文zhōngwén
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wǒ兩年liǎngnián沒méi回國huíguó， 真zhēn想xiǎng我wǒ家人jiārén我wǒ两年liǎngnián没méi回国huíguó， 真zhēn想xiǎng我wǒ家人jiārén
I haven’t been back to my country for two years. I miss my family.

我wǒ要yào去qù旅行lǚxíng， 所以suǒyǐ三天sāntiān不能bùnéng上課shàngkè我wǒ要yào去qù旅行lǚxíng， 所以suǒyǐ三天sāntiān不能bùnéng上课shàngkè
I’m going on a trip, so I can’t attend class for three days.

老師lǎoshī要yào我們wǒmen30 分鐘fēnzhōng不可以bùkěyǐ說shuō英文yīngwén老师lǎoshī要yào我们wǒmen30 分钟fēnzhōng不可以bùkěyǐ说shuō英文yīngwén
The teacher asks us not to speak English for 30 minutes.