HSK 2: Time & Dates

Time & Dates: Vocabulary for time, dates, and everyday scheduling

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Pinyin is the standard romanisation used to show Mandarin pronunciation using the Latin alphabet. You’ll often see tone marks on the vowels to show the four tones (plus the neutral tone), for example mā / má / mǎ / mà / ma. “Numbered pinyin” shows the same tones using a number after the syllable instead of tone marks, for example ma1 / ma2 / ma3 / ma4 / ma (sometimes written as ma5 for the neutral tone). Numbered pinyin is handy when you can’t easily type tone marks, while tone-mark pinyin is usually easier to read once you’re used to it.

半夜

  • Pinyin: bàn yè
  • Numbered pinyin: ban4 ye4
  • English translation: midnight

不久

  • Pinyin: bù jiǔ
  • Numbered pinyin: bu4 jiu3
  • English translation: soon, shortly

不一会儿

  • Pinyin: bù yí huìr
  • Numbered pinyin: bu4 yi2 hui4 r5
  • English translation: in a moment

重新

  • Pinyin: chóng xīn
  • Numbered pinyin: chong2 xin1
  • English translation: again, anew

从小

  • Pinyin: cóng xiǎo
  • Numbered pinyin: cong2 xiao3
  • English translation: since childhood

当时

  • Pinyin: dāng shí
  • Numbered pinyin: dang1 shi2
  • English translation: at that time

等到

  • Pinyin: děng dào
  • Numbered pinyin: deng3 dao4
  • English translation: to wait until

多久

  • Pinyin: duō jiǔ
  • Numbered pinyin: duo1 jiu3
  • English translation: how long

分钟

  • Pinyin: fēn zhōng
  • Numbered pinyin: fen1 zhong1
  • English translation: minute

  • Pinyin: gāng
  • Numbered pinyin: gang1
  • English translation: just, recently

刚才

  • Pinyin: gāng cái
  • Numbered pinyin: gang1 cai2
  • English translation: just now

刚刚

  • Pinyin: gāng gāng
  • Numbered pinyin: gang1 gang1
  • English translation: just, a moment ago

过去

  • Pinyin: guò qù
  • Numbered pinyin: guo4 qu4
  • English translation: to pass, to go by

好久

  • Pinyin: hǎo jiǔ
  • Numbered pinyin: hao3 jiu3
  • English translation: a long time

后来

  • Pinyin: hòu lái
  • Numbered pinyin: hou4 lai2
  • English translation: afterwards, later

忽然

  • Pinyin: hū rán
  • Numbered pinyin: hu1 ran2
  • English translation: suddenly

  • Pinyin: jià
  • Numbered pinyin: jia4
  • English translation: vacation, holiday

假期

  • Pinyin: jià qī
  • Numbered pinyin: jia4 qi1
  • English translation: vacation period

接下来

  • Pinyin: jiē xià lái
  • Numbered pinyin: jie1 xia4 lai2
  • English translation: next, following

接着

  • Pinyin: jiē zhe
  • Numbered pinyin: jie1 zhe5
  • English translation: then, afterwards

节日

  • Pinyin: jié rì
  • Numbered pinyin: jie2 ri4
  • English translation: festival, holiday

今后

  • Pinyin: jīn hòu
  • Numbered pinyin: jin1 hou4
  • English translation: from now on, in the future

经常

  • Pinyin: jīng cháng
  • Numbered pinyin: jing1 chang2
  • English translation: often

就要

  • Pinyin: jiù yào
  • Numbered pinyin: jiu4 yao4
  • English translation: about to, going to

快要

  • Pinyin: kuài yào
  • Numbered pinyin: kuai4 yao4
  • English translation: soon, about to

那会儿

  • Pinyin: nà huì r
  • Numbered pinyin: na4 hui4 r5
  • English translation: at that time

那时候

  • Pinyin: nà shí hòu
  • Numbered pinyin: na4 shi2 hou4
  • English translation: at that time

平时

  • Pinyin: píng shí
  • Numbered pinyin: ping2 shi2
  • English translation: normally, in peacetime

前年

  • Pinyin: qián nián
  • Numbered pinyin: qian2 nian2
  • English translation: the year before last

秋天

  • Pinyin: qiū tiān
  • Numbered pinyin: qiu1 tian1
  • English translation: autumn

全年

  • Pinyin: quán nián
  • Numbered pinyin: quan2 nian2
  • English translation: the whole year

日子

  • Pinyin: rì zi
  • Numbered pinyin: ri4 zi5
  • English translation: day, life (in general)

上周

  • Pinyin: shàng zhōu
  • Numbered pinyin: shang4 zhou1
  • English translation: last week

随时

  • Pinyin: suí shí
  • Numbered pinyin: sui2 shi2
  • English translation: at any time

同时

  • Pinyin: tóng shí
  • Numbered pinyin: tong2 shi2
  • English translation: at the same time

下周

  • Pinyin: xià zhōu
  • Numbered pinyin: xia4 zhou1
  • English translation: next week

小时候

  • Pinyin: xiǎo shí hòu
  • Numbered pinyin: xiao3 shi2 hou5
  • English translation: childhood

  • Pinyin:
  • Numbered pinyin: ye4
  • English translation: night

夜里

  • Pinyin: yè li
  • Numbered pinyin: ye4 li5
  • English translation: at night

一会儿

  • Pinyin: yí huì r
  • Numbered pinyin: yi2 hui4 r5
  • English translation: a little while, moment

已经

  • Pinyin: yǐ jīng
  • Numbered pinyin: yi3 jing1
  • English translation: already

以后

  • Pinyin: yǐ hòu
  • Numbered pinyin: yi3 hou4
  • English translation: later, afterwards, in the future

以前

  • Pinyin: yǐ qián
  • Numbered pinyin: yi3 qian2
  • English translation: before, previously

一生

  • Pinyin: yì shēng
  • Numbered pinyin: yi4 sheng1
  • English translation: lifetime, all one’s life

一直

  • Pinyin: yì zhí
  • Numbered pinyin: yi4 zhi2
  • English translation: continuously, always

永远

  • Pinyin: yǒng yuǎn
  • Numbered pinyin: yong3 yuan3
  • English translation: forever, always

有空儿

  • Pinyin: yǒu kòng r
  • Numbered pinyin: you3 kong4 r5
  • English translation: to have free time

原来

  • Pinyin: yuán lái
  • Numbered pinyin: yuan2 lai2
  • English translation: originally

月份

  • Pinyin: yuè fèn
  • Numbered pinyin: yue4 fen4
  • English translation: month

早晨

  • Pinyin: zǎo chén
  • Numbered pinyin: zao3 chen2
  • English translation: morning

早就

  • Pinyin: zǎo jiù
  • Numbered pinyin: zao3 jiu4
  • English translation: long ago, already

这时候

  • Pinyin: zhè shí hòu
  • Numbered pinyin: zhe4 shi2 hou4
  • English translation: at this time

  • Pinyin: zhōu
  • Numbered pinyin: zhou1
  • English translation: week

周末

  • Pinyin: zhōu mò
  • Numbered pinyin: zhou1 mo4
  • English translation: weekend

周年

  • Pinyin: zhōu nián
  • Numbered pinyin: zhou1 nian2
  • English translation: anniversary

最近

  • Pinyin: zuì jìn
  • Numbered pinyin: zui4 jin4
  • English translation: recently

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