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Time Expressions & Tense Markers

Time words
星期一 … 星期天
Monday … Sunday
Xīngqīyī … Xīngqītiān
Days of the week
一月 … 十二月
January … December
Yīyuè … Shí'èryuè
Months of the year
两点半
2:30
liǎng diǎn bàn
Telling time: 点 = o'clock
今天 / 昨天 / 明天
today / yesterday / tomorrow
jīntiān / zuótiān / míngtiān
Basic time reference words
早上 / 下午 / 晚上
morning / afternoon / evening
zǎoshang / xiàwǔ / wǎnshang
Parts of the day
我吃了。
I ate. / I have eaten.
Wǒ chī le.
Completed action marker 了 (le)
她在吃饭。
She is eating.
Tā zài chī fàn.
Ongoing action: 在 (zài) + Verb
我明天要去。
I will go tomorrow.
Wǒ míngtiān yào qù.
Future with 要 (yào) = will/going to
时间词在动词前
Time words come before the verb
shíjiān cí zài dòngcí qián
Rule: time expression → verb
我学了两年。
I studied for two years.
Wǒ xuéle liǎng nián.
Duration expression with 了