Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Time and Tone Adverb Words in Chinese
时间与语气副词 shíjiān yǔ yǔqì fùcí
There is a famous Chinese saying: 好汉不提当年勇 (hǎohàn bù tí dāngnián yǒng). Word for word, it means “a true hero does not mention his bravery of back then.” In other words, a person who is really capable does not brag about past glory. People also use it jokingly to tease someone who keeps boasting about the good old days, or to say humbly, “let’s not talk about what I used to do.” The saying contains 当年 (dāngnián, “back then”), one of the time words in this lesson. The lesson also covers little adverbs like 居然 (jūrán) (“unexpectedly”) that let you show surprise and attitude.
When did it happen?
Time and Period Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 傍晚 | bàngwǎn | Early evening; dusk | 해질 무렵 | 夕方 |
| 半夜 | bànyè | Midnight; the middle of the night | 한밤중 | 真夜中 |
| 此后 | cǐhòu | After this; afterwards | 이후 | これ以降 |
| 此前 | cǐqián | Before this; previously | 이전 | これまで |
| 从前 | cóngqián | In the past; once upon a time | 예전; 옛날 | 昔 |
| 当年 | dāngnián | Back then; that year | 그 당시 | 当時 |
| 近期 | jìnqī | Recent period; lately | 최근 | 最近 |
| 近日 | jìnrì | Recently; in the next few days | 요즘; 근래 | 近日 |
| 年初 | niánchū | Early in the year | 연초 | 年初 |
| 年代 | niándài | Era; decade | 연대; 시대 | 年代 |
| 时期 | shíqī | Period of time | 시기 | 時期 |
| 夜间 | yèjiān | At night; nighttime | 야간 | 夜間 |
Putting it all together
Examples
傍晚我喜歡去公園散步，半夜就不出門了傍晚我喜欢去公园散步，半夜就不出门了In the early evening I like to take a walk in the park, but I don’t go out in the middle of the night.
他從前住在鄉下，近日才搬到台北他从前住在农村，近日才搬到台北He used to live in the countryside and only recently moved to Taipei.
Showing attitude
Adverb and Tone Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 毕竟 | bìjìng | After all | 결국; 어쨌든 | 結局; 所詮 |
| 反而 | fǎn’ér | On the contrary; instead | 오히려 | かえって |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | Anyway; in any case | 어차피 | どうせ |
| 格外 | géwài | Especially; extra | 유난히; 특별히 | 格別に; ひときわ |
| 果然 | guǒrán | Sure enough; as expected | 과연; 역시 | 案の定 |
| 或许 | huòxǔ | Maybe; perhaps | 어쩌면 | もしかすると |
| 简直 | jiǎnzhí | Simply; virtually | 그야말로 | まるで; まさに |
| 居然 | jūrán | Unexpectedly; actually | 뜻밖에; 의외로 | 意外にも |
| 偶然 | ǒurán | By chance; accidental | 우연히 | 偶然 |
| 始终 | shǐzhōng | All along; from start to finish | 줄곧; 시종 | 終始; ずっと |
| 说不定 | shuōbudìng | Maybe; it’s possible that | 어쩌면 | ひょっとすると |
| 万一 | wànyī | Just in case; what if | 만일 | 万が一 |
居然 (jūrán), 果然 (guǒrán) and 偶然 (ǒurán)
居然 (jūrán) shows surprise, because something happened that you did not expect. 果然 (guǒrán) is the opposite: it means “sure enough,” because things turned out as you expected. 偶然 (ǒurán) means “by chance.”
反而 (fǎn’ér) vs 反正 (fǎnzhèng)
反而 (fǎn’ér) means “on the contrary” or “instead,” for something that goes against what you expected. 反正 (fǎnzhèng) means “anyway” or “in any case,” when the result is the same no matter what.
或许 (huòxǔ), 说不定 (shuōbudìng) and 万一 (wànyī)
或许 (huòxǔ) and 说不定 (shuōbudìng) both mean “maybe.” 万一 (wànyī) is different: it means “just in case” or “what if,” and it is usually about something unlikely or bad that might happen.
Putting it all together
Examples
我本來以為他不會來，他居然準時到了！我本来以为他不会来，他居然准时到了！I thought he wouldn’t come, but he actually arrived on time!
天氣預報說下午會下雨，果然下雨了，反正我帶了傘天气预报说下午会下雨，果然下雨了，反正我带了伞The forecast said it would rain in the afternoon, and sure enough it did; anyway, I had brought an umbrella.
Test yourself
Vocabulary Quiz
