Time words in Chinese
The Chinese word for "time words" is 时间 (shí jiān). Below are 58 Chinese words for time words, each with pinyin, English and its level in the new HSK 3.0 word list. They cover HSK 1 to HSK 6, in the order a learner meets them.
For a full date written in Chinese, use the date tool.
The 12 words to learn first
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 现在 | xiàn zài | now | 1 |
| 今天 | jīn tiān | today | 1 |
| 明天 | míng tiān | tomorrow | 1 |
| 昨天 | zuó tiān | yesterday | 1 |
| 上午 | shàng wǔ | morning | 1 |
| 下午 | xià wǔ | afternoon | 1 |
| 晚上 | wǎn shang | evening | 1 |
| 星期 | xīng qī | week | 1 |
| 月 | yuè | month; moon | 1 |
| 年 | nián | year | 1 |
| 小时 | xiǎo shí | hour | 1 |
| 分钟 | fēn zhōng | minute | 1 |
Time Expressions HSK 1 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 日 | rì | day; sun | 1 |
| 点 | diǎn | o'clock; point; a little | 1 |
| 时候 | shí hou | time | 1 |
| 中午 | zhōng wǔ | noon | 1 |
Time Expressions HSK 2 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 早上 | zǎo shang | early morning | 1 |
| 去年 | qù nián | last year | 1 |
| 时间 | shí jiān | time | 1 |
| 第一 | dì yī | first | – |
| 每 | měi | each | 2 |
| 再 | zài | again; once more; re- | 1 |
| 已经 | yǐ jīng | already | 2 |
Time adverbs & temporal expressions HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 刚刚 | gāng gang | just recently | 3 |
| 暂时 | zàn shí | temporary | 4 |
| 及时 | jí shí | timely; at the right time | 4 |
| 按时 | àn shí | on time | 4 |
| 偶尔 | ǒu ěr | occasionally | 4 |
| 往往 | wǎng wǎng | often; tend to | 4 |
| 逐渐 | zhú jiàn | gradually | 5 |
| 重新 | chóng xīn | again; once more; re- | 4 |
| 首先 | shǒu xiān | first (of all) | 4 |
| 后来 | hòu lái | afterwards; later | 3 |
| 平时 | píng shí | ordinarily | 3 |
| 当时 | dāng shí | at that time; then (in the past) | 4 |
| 顺便 | shùn biàn | conveniently | 4 |
| 顺序 | shùn xù | sequence | 4 |
| 等 | děng | to wait; etc./and so on | 2 |
| 过 | guò | to pass; to cross; (past-experience particle) | 2 |
| 忽然 | hū rán | suddenly; all of a sudden | 4 |
| 假 | jià | holiday; vacation; leave of absence | 4 |
| 永远 | yǒng yuǎn | forever | 4 |
Time sequence & ordering HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 其次 | qí cì | next | 4 |
| 最后 | zuì hòu | final | 3 |
| 现代 | xiàn dài | modern; modern times | 5 |
| 将来 | jiāng lái | in the future | 4 |
| 寒假 | hán jià | winter vacation | 4 |
Time & Temporal Expressions HSK 5 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 傍晚 | bàng wǎn | evening, dusk | 5 |
| 曾经 | céng jīng | once, formerly (+ past experience) | 5 |
| 从此 | cóng cǐ | from then on | 4 |
| 从而 | cóng ér | thus, thereby (cause→result connector) | 5 |
| 从前 | cóng qián | in the past, previously | 5 |
| 当代 | dāng dài | the contemporary era | 6 |
| 度过 | dù guò | to spend/pass (time) | – |
| 公元 | gōng yuán | CE (Common Era) | 6 |
| 节 | jié | festival; section; joint; node | 3 |
| 礼拜天 | lǐ bài tiān | Sunday | – |
| 临时 | lín shí | temporary, at the last moment | 5 |
Every word links to its dictionary entry, with audio, example sentences and stroke order. The words are grouped by the GraphChinese lesson that teaches them, so a few in each group belong to the lesson and sit a little outside the topic.
More topics:
- family
- food
- numbers
- colors
- body parts
- emotions and feelings
- weather
- clothes
- health and illness
- places
- transport and travel
- school
- jobs and work
- sports and hobbies
- nature and animals
- shopping and money
- directions
- greetings and everyday phrases
- pronouns
- measure words
- house and home
- everyday verbs
- personality
- technology
- business
- conjunctions
- entertainment and the arts
- festivals and holidays
- communication
- All topics
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "time words" in Chinese?
时间 (shí jiān), meaning "time". The most common words in this topic are 现在 (xiàn zài, now), 今天 (jīn tiān, today), 明天 (míng tiān, tomorrow), 昨天 (zuó tiān, yesterday).
How many Chinese words for time words do I need?
This page lists 58, from HSK 1 to HSK 6. The 12 at the top are enough to start; the rest follow level by level.
What do the HSK levels on this page mean?
Each word shows where the new HSK 3.0 word list places it, from level 1 to the 7-9 band. A dash means the word is taught in the course and is not on the HSK 3.0 list. HSK 3.0, complete.
How do I pronounce these words?
The pinyin beside each word gives the sound and the tone. Each word links to its dictionary entry, where you can hear it. If the tone marks are new to you, start with the four tones, explained.
GraphChinese teaches these words in dependency order, with audio, and only moves on when each one is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
Start at your true level