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Time Expressions & Tense Markers
Time words
届时请关注通知。
Please pay attention to the notice at that time.
Jiè shí qǐng guānzhù tōngzhī.
Formal temporal 届时 = at that (scheduled) time
要是我知道就好了。
If only I had known.
Yàoshi wǒ zhīdào jiù hǎo le.
Counterfactual: 要是…就好了
他曾是一名优秀的学生。
He was once an outstanding student.
Tā céng shì yīmíng yōuxiù de xuésheng.
Literary past 曾 (céng) = once upon a time
从早上到晚上
from morning to evening
cóng zǎoshang dào wǎnshang
Temporal span: 从…到 = from…to
会议即将开始。
The meeting is about to begin.
Huìyì jíjiāng kāishǐ.
Formal imminent future: 即将 (jíjiāng)
他走进房间，看见一封信。(historical present)
He walks into the room
sees a letter.
Tā zǒu jìn fángjiān
回想起来，当时的决定是对的。
Looking back
the decision then was correct.
Huí xiǎng qǐlái
公元2025年10月1日
1 October 2025 CE
Gōngyuán 2025 nián 10 yuè 1 rì
Precise formal date expression with 公元
他来的时候 (nominal time clause)
when he came (as nominal subject)
tā lái de shíhòu
Time clause nominalised as subject/topic
着 for ongoingness at past reference time
continuous state at past narrative point
tā zuò zhe děng (he was sitting waiting)
Aspect 着 signals background state in past narrative