Time expressions in Mandarin are mostly added after the subject, as is 妈妈 (māma, Mom) in the first example above, and before the predicate like 去 (qù, to go) in the same example above. Think: 我昨天生病了 (Wǒ zuótiān shēngbìng le, I yesterday was sick) or 她昨天看篮球比赛了 (Tā zuótiān kàn lánqiú bǐsài le, She yesterday watched the basketball game).
How to express past, present, and future in Mandarin Chinese?
By: Lina Shen Thu Sep 18 2025
Mandarin chineseAdverbs
In Mandarin, to talk about the past, present, and future, you use adverbial time expressions, like 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow) or 常常 (chángchang, often). We discuss how to tell time using the clock, and how to talk about time from minutes all the way up to years and beyond in other posts. Now, it’s time to go beyond clocks, and beyond mere units of time, to talk about time in action (or action in time). Either way, it’s time for: past, present, and future!
Time expressions in context in Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin does not have tenses the way English does; there is no verb morphology, that is, no -(e)s (eats, watches), and no “will have done.” You’ll just need to learn the time adverbials, learn to use some particles, and above all, pay attention to word order.
Let’s dive in!
How to talk about the past in Mandarin Chinese?
When talking about the past in Mandarin, you just add a time adverbial, such as 昨天 (zuótiān, yesterday), and put the words in the right order.
How to refer to days in the past in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about days in the past in Mandarin, we use these words:
Header | Header | Header |
|---|---|---|
yesterday | 昨天 zuó tiān | 妈妈昨天去图书馆了。 (Māma zuó tiān qù túshūguǎn le.) Mom went to the library yesterday. |
the day before yesterday | 前天 qián tiān | 你前天学汉语了吗？ (Nǐ qián tiān xué hànyǔ le ma?) Did you study Chinese the day before yesterday? |
Remember this?
How to refer to weeks and months in the past in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about weeks and months in the past in Mandarin, remember this pattern:
上个 (shàng ge, last one) + week; 上个 (shàng ge, last one) + month/date |
Expression | Mandarin | Example |
|---|---|---|
last Tuesday | 上个星期二 shàng ge xīngqī èr | 他们上个星期二去美国了。 (Tāmen shàng ge xīngqī èr qù měiguó le.) They went to America last Tuesday. |
last month | 上个月 shàng ge yuè | 你们上个月在哪里？ (Nǐmen shàng ge yuè zài nǎli?) Where were you last month? |
last month on the third | 上个月3号 shàng ge yuè sān hào | 我们上个月三号开学了。 (Wǒmen shàng ge yuè sān hào kāixué le.) We started school on the third last month. |
How to refer to years in the past in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about years in the past, we use these words:
Expression | Mandarin | Example |
|---|---|---|
last year | 去年 qùnián | 我的老师去年退休了。 (Wǒ de lǎoshī qùnián tuìxiū le.) My teacher retired last year. |
two years ago | 前年 qiánnián | 我前年去过一次北京。 (Wǒ qiánnián qù guò yí cì Běijīng.) I went to Beijing once two years ago. |
How to talk about a specified time in the past in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about a specified time in the past in Mandarin, you can use this pattern:
Use: a specific amount of time + 前 (qián, ago) to mean “the specified amount of time in the past" |
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
十分钟前 (shí fēnzhōng qián) 10 minutes ago | 飞机十分钟前起飞了。 (Fēijī shí fēnzhōng qián qǐfēi le.) The plane took off ten minutes ago. |
十年前 (shí nián qián) 10 years ago | 他十年前就住在这里了。 (Tā shí nián qián jiù zhù zài zhèli le.) He lived here ten years ago. |
How to talk about an indefinite time in the past in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about something that happened in an indefinite time in the past in Mandarin, we use these words:
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
很久以前 (hěn jiǔ yǐqián) long time ago | 很久以前，这里发生过地震。 (Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, zhèli fāshēng guò dìzhèn.) A long time ago, an earthquake happened here. |
从前 (cóngqián) once upon a time/in the past | 从前，有一个女孩叫灰姑娘。 (Cóngqián, yǒu yí ge nǚhái jiào huīgūniang.) Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella. |
以前 (yǐqián) before/used to be | 以前，他很讨厌吃鱼。 (Yǐqián, tā hěn tǎoyàn chī yú.) He used to hate eating fish. |
Have you wondered about the differences between these three words? Check out our bonus content on the differences between adverbials in Mandarin for more detail about them.
How to talk about the present in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about the present in Mandarin, we use these words:
Expression | Mandarin | Example |
|---|---|---|
today/this day | 今天 jīntiān | 你今天想吃面条吗？ (Nǐ jīntiān xiǎng chī miàntiáo ma?) Do you want to have noodles today? |
this year | 今年 jīn'nián | 他今年不能回家过年。 (Tā jīn'nián bùnéng huíjiā guònián.) This year he can’t go home to celebrate the spring festival. |
How to talk about frequency in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about frequency in Mandarin, we use these words:
Expression | Mandarin | Example |
|---|---|---|
now | 现在 xiànzài | 我现在在读书。 (Wǒ xiànzài zài dúshū.) I am reading now. |
often | 常常/经常 chángchang/jīngcháng | 我哥哥经常锻炼身体。 (Wǒ gēge jīngcháng duànliàn shēntǐ.) My brother often exercises. |
always | 总是 zǒngshì | 他们总是喜欢吃中餐。 (Tāmen zǒngshì xǐhuan chī zhōngcān.) They always like to eat Chinese food. |
sometimes | 有时候 yǒu shíhòu 有的时候 yǒu de shíhòu | 我们有时候早上学习，有时候晚上学习。 (Wǒmen yǒu shíhòu zǎo shang xuéxí, yǒu shíhòu wǎn shang xuéxí.) Sometimes we study in the mornings, sometimes in the evenings. 我们有的时候早上学习，有的时候晚上学习。 (Wǒmen yǒu de shíhòu zǎo shang xuéxí, yǒude shíhòu wǎn shang xuéxí.) Sometimes we study in the mornings, sometimes in the evenings. |
every + time | 每天 měi tiān 每星期 měi xīngqī 每月 měi yuè 每年 měi nián | 你们每天都学习汉语吗？ (Nǐmen měi tiān dōu xuéxí hànyǔ ma?) Do you study Chinese every day? 我每星期都去健身房。 (Wǒ měi xīngqī dōu qù jiànshēnfáng.) I go to the gym every week. 爸妈每月三号都给我打电话。 (Bà mā měi yuè sān hào dōu gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.) Mom and Dad call me on the third of every month. 他们每年都去海边度假。 (Tāmen měi nián dōu qù hǎibiān dùjiào.) They go on a vacation to the beach every year. |
How to talk about the future in Mandarin Chinese?
When talking about the future in Mandarin, you don’t need to worry about “will be” or “be going to,” you just add a time adverbial, such as 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow), and put the words in the right order.
How to refer to days in the future in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about days in the future in Mandarin, we use these words:
Expression | Mandarin | Example |
|---|---|---|
tomorrow | 明天 míngtiān | 你明天要去哪里？ (Nǐ míngtiān yào qù nǎli?) Where are you going tomorrow? |
the day after tomorrow | 后天 hòutiān | 我后天要回学校了。 (Wǒ hòutiān yào huí xuéxiào le.) I will go back to school the day after tomorrow. |
How to refer to weeks in the future?
In order to talk about weeks in the future, you can use this pattern:
Use 这个 (zhè ge, this one) + week;这个 (zhè ge, this one) + month/date |
Expression | Mandarin | Example |
|---|---|---|
this Saturday | 这个星期六 zhè ge xīngqī liù | 他这个星期六不在家。 (Tā zhè ge xīngqī liù bú zài jiā.) He will not be home this Saturday. |
on the seventh of this month | 这个月7号 zhè ge yuè qī hào | 我们这个月7号有课吗？ (Wǒmen zhè ge yuè qī hào yǒu kè ma.) Will we have a class on the seventh of this month? |
How to refer to years in the future in Mandarin Chinese?
In order to talk about years in the future in Mandarin, we use these words:
Expression | Mandarin | Example |
|---|---|---|
next year | 明年 míngnián | 他们明年结婚。 (Tāmen míngnián jiēhūn.) They will get married next year. |
two years later | 后年 hòunián | 弟弟后年要上大学啦！ (Dìdi hòunián yào shàng dàxué la.) My younger brother will go to college in two years. |
Talking about a while later/within a certain amount of time
In order to talk about things that will happen in a while or within a certain amount of time, we use this pattern:
Use a specific amount of time + 后 (hòu, after) to mean "a while later" |
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
十分钟后 (shí fēnzhōng hòu) after 10 minutes | 飞机十分钟后起飞。 (Fēijī shí fēnzhōng hòu qǐfēi.) The plane will take off after 10 minutes. |
一年后 (yì nián hòu) a year later | 他一年后回美国。 (Tā yìnián hòu huí měiguó.) He will return to America a year later. |
Talking about the future at an indefinite or unspecified time
In order to talk about something that will happen at an indefinite time in the future, we use these words:
Expression | Example |
|---|---|
将来 (jiānglái) in the future | 我将来想当一位科学家。 (Wǒ jiānglái xiǎng dāng yíwèi kēxuéjiā.) I want to be a scientist in the future. |
以后 (yǐhòu) later on | 我们以后再商量这件事吧。 (Wǒmen yǐhòu zài shāngliang zhè jiàn shì ba.) Let's talk about this matter later on. |
To sum up
As we have seen, in Mandarin, time is indicated by using adverbial time expressions, like 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow) or 常常 (chángchang, often). Now, let’s practice using time expressions in Mandarin with some helpful exercises. Happy learning!
