How to say “yesterday” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
Rising 昨, then flat 天. Chinese verbs don't change for tense; 昨天 alone tells you it happened in the past, often with 了 (le) after the verb. 前天 (qiántiān) is the day before yesterday.
In a sentence
Zuótiān wǒ qù le chángchéng.
Yesterday I went to the Great Wall.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "yesterday" in Chinese?+
"yesterday" in Mandarin Chinese is 昨天, pronounced zuótiān. Rising 昨, then flat 天. Chinese verbs don't change for tense; 昨天 alone tells you it happened in the past, often with 了 (le) after the verb. 前天 (qiántiān) is the day before yesterday.
What does 昨天 mean literally?+
昨天 breaks down as 昨 (zuó) = yesterday / past, 天 (tiān) = day. Together it means "yesterday".
How do I get the tones right in zuótiān?+
Rising 昨, then flat 天. Chinese verbs don't change for tense; 昨天 alone tells you it happened in the past, often with 了 (le) after the verb. 前天 (qiántiān) is the day before yesterday.
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