Time word + Subject/Verb (largest → smallest)
Dates, time & word order
Chinese states time from largest unit to smallest: year → month → day → weekday → hour → minute, e.g. 2026年7月23号星期四早上八点 (8am, Thursday, July 23, 2026). Time expressions (both specific times and general ones like 今天, 现在) come BEFORE the verb, not after like in English: 我今天下午三点开会 (I have a meeting at 3pm today) — never ...开会今天下午三点. Weekday is 星期 + number (星期一 Monday ... 星期日/星期天 Sunday), month is number + 月, day of month is number + 号 (or formal 日).
Examples
- 我星期五有考试。wǒ xīng qī wǔ yǒu kǎo shì
I have an exam on Friday.
- 他八月十号过生日。tā bā yuè shí hào guò shēng rì
His birthday is August 10th.
- 我们现在去买东西。wǒ men xiàn zài qù mǎi dōng xi
We're going shopping now.
Common mistake
✗ Wrong: 我去学校今天。
✓ Right: 我今天去学校。
Time words belong before the verb (right after the subject), not tacked on at the end of the sentence the way English often does.
Practice this pattern
Fill in the missing character:
＿星期五有考试。
I have an exam on Friday.