昨天今天明天 Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

昨天zuótiān下雨xiàyǔ，天气tiānqì很hěn冷lěng，我wǒ在zài家jiā看书kànshū。

Yesterday it rained and the weather was cold, so I stayed home and read.

今天jīntiān不bú下雨xiàyǔ，天气tiānqì很hěn好hǎo。

Today it isn't raining, and the weather is lovely.

上午shàngwǔ我wǒ去qù学校xuéxiào学习xuéxí，中午zhōngwǔ和hé同学tóngxué吃chī米饭mǐfàn。

In the morning I went to school to study, and at noon I ate rice with my classmates.

明天míngtiān是shì星期天xīngqītiān，我wǒ不bú去qù学校xuéxiào。

Tomorrow is Sunday, so I won't go to school.

我wǒ想xiǎng去qù商店shāngdiàn买mǎi衣服yīfu。

I want to go to the store to buy some clothes.

昨天zuótiān、今天jīntiān、明天míngtiān，我wǒ都dōu很hěn高兴gāoxìng。

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow — I'm happy every day.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

昨天zuótiānyesterday

今天jīntiāntoday

明天míngtiāntomorrow

下雨xiàyǔto rain

冷lěngcold

衣服yīfuclothes

Time words before the verb

Chinese verbs do not change for tense. Time words like 昨天 / 今天 / 明天 at the start of the sentence tell you when: 昨天下雨。明天我不去学校。

明天我不去学校。 — Tomorrow I won't go to school.

Tone change of 不 (bù → bú)

不 is normally bù, but before a 4th-tone syllable it becomes bú: 不去 (bú qù), 不下雨 (bú xiàyǔ).

我不去学校。 — I am not going to school.

1. What was the weather like yesterday?

2. What did the narrator do at noon today?

3. Why won't the narrator go to school tomorrow?