How to Express Past, Present or Future Events in Mandarin Chinese
As we all know, Chinese doesn't have different verb conjugations to indicate periods of time, so how does someone know that you are referring to something happening at different times? In this episode, I'll teach you the Chinese time expressions that indicate when an action takes place. Let's check it out.
Part 1: Present events (showing that an action happens at present)
是 [shì]
is / are / am
不是 [bú shì]
be not
Wǒ
我
shì
是
lǎo
老
shī,
师，
wǒ
我
bú
不
shì
是
xué
学
sheng.
生。
I'm a teacher, I'm not a student.
现在 [xiàn zài]
now / current / nowadays
Wǒ
我
xiàn
现
zài
在
shì
是
lǎo
老
shī.
师。
I am a teacher now.
有时 [yǒu shí]
sometimes
Tā
他
yǒu
有
shí
时
qīng
清
xǐng
醒
yǒu
有
shí
时
hú
糊
tu.
涂。
Sometimes he is sober and sometimes confused.
经常 [jīng cháng]
often / frequently / regularly
Tā
他
jīng
经
cháng
常
tī
踢
zú
足
qiú.
球。
He often plays football.
通常 [tōng cháng]
usually / normally
Zài
在
wǒ
我
jiā,
家，
tōng
通
cháng
常
shì
是
bà
爸
ba
爸
zuò
做
fàn.
饭。
Father usually cooks in my home.
总是 [zǒng shì]
always
Tā
她
zǒng
总
shì
是
shàng
上
xué
学
chí
迟
dào.
到。
She is always late for school.
每天 [měi tiān]
every day
Wǒ
我
měi
每
tiān
天
liù
六
diǎn
点
qǐ
起
chuáng.
床。
I get up at six every day.
每个星期 [měi ge xīng qī]
every week
Mā
妈
ma
妈
měi
每
ge
个
xīng
星
qī
期
dōu
都
qù
去
jiào
教
táng
堂
zuò
做
lǐ
礼
bài.
拜。
Mother goes to church every week.
每个月 [měi ge yuè]
every month
Měi
每
ge
个
yuè
月
wǒ
我
dōu
都
qù
去
kàn
看
wàng
望
wài
外
gōng.
公。
I visit my grandfather every month.
每年 [měi nián]
every year
Hái
孩
zi
子
men
们
měi
每
nián
年
dōu
都
huì
会
zhǎng
长
gāo.
高。
Children grow taller each year.
一...就... [yī...jiù...]
as soon as
Tā
他
yì
一
hē
喝
jiǔ
酒
jiù
就
liǎn
脸
hóng.
红。
He blushes as soon as he drinks.
Part 2: Present continuous events (showing that an action is in progress)
在 [zài]
in the middle of doing sth
Wǒ
我
zài
在
kàn
看
shū.
书。
I am reading a book.
正 [zhèng]
just at (that time), right in the middle of (doing sth)
正在 [zhèng zài]
just at (that time), right in the middle of (doing sth)
Wǒ
我
zhèng
正
shuì
睡
jiào
觉
ne.
呢。
I am sleeping.
Wǒ
我
zhèng
正
zài
在
kàn
看
diàn
电
shì.
视。
I am watching TV at the moment.
一直在 [yì zhí zài]
have been doing sth all the time
Wǒ
我
yì
一
zhí
直
zài
在
kàn
看
diàn
电
shì.
视。
I have been watching TV all the time.
着 [zhe]
aspect particle indicating action in progress, it is added after a verb is similar to the use of -ing in English.
Tā
他
shuì
睡
zhe
着
ne.
呢。
He is sleeping.
Part 3: Past events (showing that an action is completed)
了 [le]
completed action marker, often refers to a past event.
Tā
他
chī
吃
le
了
yí
一
ge
个
jī
鸡
dàn.
蛋。
He ate an egg.
Note
Aspect particle了 has a lot of different usages. “Verb +了” is only one of its common usages, it indicates that an action is complete in a certain time frame.
过 [guò]
experienced action marker, often used to indicate that an experience happened in the past.
The structure is:
Subject + Verb + 过 + Object
Examples
Wǒ
我
qù
去
guo
过
Běi
北
jīng.
京。
I have been to Beijing (before).
没...过... [méi...guo...]
Because 过 is about past actions, you have to use 没to negate it.
The structure for this is:
Subject + 没 + Verb + 过 + Object
Examples
Wǒ
我
méi
没
qù
去
guo
过
Běi
北
jīng.
京。
I haven't been to Beijing.
是...的 [shì...de ]
This constructure is often used to emphasize the time something happened in the past or the means.
Tā
他
shì
是
zuó
昨
tiān
天
dào
到
de.
的。
He arrived yesterday.
Wǒ
我
shì
是
zuò
坐
huǒ
火
chē
车
qù
去
Běi
北
jīng
京
de.
的。
I went to Beijing by train.
...前 [qián]
ago, putting a specific time or a duration of time before 前 to express how long ago the past event happened or was happening.
Tā
他
shí
十
nián
年
qián
前
lái
来
dào
到
le
了
Zhōng
中
guó.
国。
He came to China ten years ago.
Tā
他
sān
三
fēn
分
zhōng
钟
qián
前
zài
在
kàn
看
diàn
电
shì.
视。
He was watching TV three minutes ago.
以前 [yǐ qián ]
before / formerly / previous / ago
Wǒ
我
yǐ
以
qián
前
shì
是
lǎo
老
shī.
师。
I was a teacher before.
曾经 [céng jīng]
once /previously / ever past event marker used before verb or clause
Wǒ
我
céng
曾
jīng
经
jiàn
见
guo
过
tā.
他。
I have seen him before.
已经 [yǐ jīng]
already
Tā
他
yǐ
已
jīng
经
bǎo
饱
le.
了。
He is full already.
刚才 [gāng cái]
just now, a moment ago
Tā
他
gāng
刚
cái
才
qù
去
le
了
tú
图
shū
书
guǎn.
馆。
He went to library just now.
那时候 [nà shí hou]
at that time
Nà
那
shí
时
hou,
候，
wǒ
我
men
们
dōu
都
hěn
很
nián
年
qīng.
轻。
We were young at that time.
昨天 [zuó tiān]
yesterday
Tā
他
zuó
昨
tiān
天
méi
没
lái.
来。
He wasn't present yesterday.
前天 [qián tiān]
the day before yesterday
Tā
他
qián
前
tiān
天
qù
去
le
了
Shàng
上
hǎi.
海。
He went to Shanghai the day before yesterday.
上个星期 [shàng ge xīng qī]
last week
Shàng
上
ge
个
xīng
星
qī
期
wǒ
我
qù
去
huá
滑
bīng
冰
le.
了。
I went skiing last week.
上个月 [shàng ge yuè]
last month
Shàng
上
ge
个
yuè
月
wǒ
我
chū
出
chāi
差
le.
了。
I went on a business trip last month.
去年 [qù nián]
last year
Tā
他
shì
是
qù
去
nián
年
bì
毕
yè
业
de.
的。
He graduated from university last year.
前年 [qián nián]
the year before last
Tā
他
qián
前
nián
年
hái
还
zài
在
dú
读
shū.
书。
He was studying the year before last.
Part 4: Future events (showing that an action will happen in the future)
会 / 会...的 [huì huì...de ]
will, markers that indicate actions that are going to happen in the future.
Wǒ
我
huì
会
cān
参
jiā
加
nà
那
ge
个
huì
会
yì.
议。
I will take part in that meeting.
Wǒ
我
huì
会
gěi
给
nǐ
你
dǎ
打
diàn
电
huà
话
de.
的。
I will call you.
想 [xiǎng]
to wish / to want
Wǒ
我
xiǎng
想
qù
去
gōng
公
yuán.
园。
I want to go to the park.
要 [yào]
to want to, have to, have a strong intention to (as future auxiliary)
Wǒ
我
yào
要
qù
去
shàng
上
bān
班
le.
了。
I am going to work.
将 [jiāng]
will, shall, be going to
将要 [jiāng yào]
将会 [jiāng huì]
Wǒ
我
men
们
jiāng
将
yāo
邀
qǐng
请
zhuān
专
jiā
家
cān
参
jiā
加
zhè
这
ge
个
huì
会
yì.
议。
We'll invite experts to attend this meeting.
Tā
他
jiāng
将
yào
要
lí
离
kāi
开
zhè
这
li.
里。
He is going to leave here.
Wǒ
我
míng
明
tiān
天
jiāng
将
huì
会
cān
参
jiā
加
kǎo
考
shì
试。
I will take an exam tomorrow.
将来 [jiāng lái ]
in the future / future / the future
Tā
他
jiāng
将
lái
来
xiǎng
想
dāng
当
yī
医
shēng.
生。
He wants to be a doctor in the future.
快 [kuài]
almost, very nearly
Tiān
天
kuài
快
hēi
黑
le.
了。
It's going to dark.
打算 [dǎ suàn]
to plan / to intend often used when talking about future events.
Wǒ
我
dǎ
打
suàn
算
míng
明
tiān
天
qù
去
pá
爬
shān.
山。
I plan to go hiking tomorrow.
以后 [yǐ hòu]
after / later / afterwards / following / later on / in the future
Tā
他
yǐ
以
hòu
后
xiǎng
想
qù
去
liú
留
xué.
学。
He wants to study abroad.
准备 [zhǔn bèi ]
to prepare / to intend / to be about to
Tā
他
zhǔn
准
bèi
备
lí
离
kāi
开
zhè
这
li.
里。
He is about to leave here.
马上 [mǎ shàng]
at once / right away / immediately
Wǒ
我
mǎ
马
shàng
上
gěi
给
nǐ
你
fā
发
yóu
邮
jiàn.
件。
I will send the email to you immediately.
不久 [bù jiǔ]
soon / soon after
Tā
他
bù
不
jiǔ
久
huì
会
huí
回
lai
来
de.
的。
He will come back soon.
一会儿 [yí huìr]
a moment / a while / in a moment
Yí
一
huìr
会儿
wǒ
我
qù
去
zhǎo
找
nǐ.
你。
I will visit you later.
到时候 [dào shí hou]
when the moment comes / at that time
Dào
到
shí
时
hou
候
nǐ
你
jiù
就
zhī
知
dào
道
le.
了。
You will know it at that time.
明天 [míng tiān]
tomorrow
Míng
明
tiān
天
wǒ
我
xiǎng
想
qù
去
dǎ
打
yǔ
羽
máo
毛
qiú.
球。
I want to play badminton tomorrow.
后天 [hòu tiān]
the day after tomorrow
Hòu
后
tiān
天
wǒ
我
yào
要
cān
参
jiā
加
yí
一
ge
个
bǐ
比
sài.
赛。
I'll have a competition the day after tomorrow.
下次 [xià cì]
next time
Wǒ
我
men
们
xià
下
cì
次
liáo.
聊。
Let's chat next time.
下个星期 [xià ge xīng qī]
next week
Xià
下
ge
个
xīng
星
qī
期
wǒ
我
guò
过
shēng
生
rì.
日。
I will celebrate my birthday next week.
下个月 [xià ge yuè]
next month
Tā
他
xià
下
ge
个
yuè
月
jié
结
hūn.
婚。
He is going to get married next month.
明年 [míng nián]
next year
Tā
他
zhǔn
准
bèi
备
míng
明
nián
年
chū
出
guó.
国。
He is planning to go abroad next year.
