下午 (xiàwǔ) — afternoon / PM in Mandarin
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#1032 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
下午 is pronounced xiàwǔ. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Xiàwǔ wǒ qù chāoshì.
In the afternoon I go to the supermarket.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 下午 mean?+
下午 (xiàwǔ) means "afternoon / PM" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 下午?+
下午 is pronounced xiàwǔ. It uses the tone 4 (falling), then the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 下午 in Mandarin?+
下午 is the #1032 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 下午 fits
Every HSK 1 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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