How to Express ‘Yesterday’ in Mandarin Chinese- A Comprehensive Guide
How to say “yesterday” in Chinese? This is a common question for those who are learning the Chinese language or are interacting with Chinese speakers. The Chinese language has its unique way of expressing time, and understanding how to convey the concept of “yesterday” is essential for effective communication.
In Chinese, “yesterday” is expressed as “昨天” (zuótiān). This phrase is composed of two characters, where “昨” (zuó) means “yesterday” and “天” (tiān) means “day.” It is important to note that Chinese characters are read from top to bottom and from left to right. So, when writing or saying “昨天,” you would first say “昨” and then “天.”
If you want to use “yesterday” in a sentence, you can say “我昨天去了公园” (wǒ zuótiān qù le gōngyuán), which translates to “I went to the park yesterday.” In this sentence, “我” (wǒ) means “I,” “昨天” (zuótiān) means “yesterday,” “去了” (qù le) means “went to,” and “公园” (gōngyuán) means “park.”
It is also worth mentioning that in Chinese, the word “昨天” can be used in various contexts. For example, if you want to say “What did you do yesterday?” in Chinese, you can say “你昨天做了什么?” (nǐ zuótiān zuò le shénme?). Here, “你” (nǐ) means “you,” “昨天” (zuótiān) means “yesterday,” “做了” (zuò le) means “did,” and “什么” (shénme) means “what.”
In conclusion, to say “yesterday” in Chinese, you would use the phrase “昨天” (zuótiān). This phrase is versatile and can be used in various contexts to convey the concept of “yesterday” in conversations or written texts. As you continue to learn the Chinese language, familiarizing yourself with such common phrases will help you communicate more effectively with Chinese speakers.