The day just elapsed; yesterday.
Yesterday; former days; bygone times. A sun (日) that has suddenly (乍) passed—today's previous day.
昨
Common Usage & Traps
- 昨天 — yesterday
- 昨晚 — last night
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昨昨天In modern spoken Chinese, 昨 is bound and cannot stand alone as a word. Use 昨天 for 'yesterday'.
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昨年去年Chinese says 去年 (qùnián) for 'last year', not 昨年.
Can 昨 be used by itself to mean 'yesterday'?
No. In modern Mandarin, 昨 cannot stand alone as a complete word and must combine with another character, most commonly 天 to form 昨天.
昨 is not a free word in modern spoken Chinese. It appears in fixed compounds such as 昨天 (yesterday) and 昨晚 (last night). If you want to say 'yesterday' in everyday speech, always use 昨天.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday speech | 昨天 | 昨 |
| Meaning | yesterday | incomplete/bound form |
How is 昨 different from 日?
日 means 'sun' or 'day' and can stand alone; 昨 only appears inside words meaning 'yesterday' or 'last night'.
日 is a common HSK 1 character meaning 'sun' or 'day' and can be used independently, as in 生日 (birthday). 昨 looks similar because it contains 日 on the left, but 昨 itself is not a standalone word. It only appears in time words referring to the previous day or night.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 日 = sun/day; 昨 = yesterday (bound) | using 昨 alone for 'day' |
| Usage | 日 can stand alone; 昨 must combine | 昨 as a free word |
| Example | 生日 | 昨 as 'day' |
Appears in Stories 6 stories
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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昨晚 跟一个身家过亿的外贸老板同席吃饭，突然发现一个挺扎心的社交真相。
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结果第二天对方笑着砍了他五个点的价，一边还看着他眼睛说，看你 昨天 吃东西的样子就知道你这人没坏心眼，肯定没跟我们要高价，就便宜百分之五吧。
Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.
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早中晚， 昨 今明。
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昨天 卖了我的车。
In this HSK 1 story, two old friends from Britain and China share a meal with their girlfriends. A simple question about who pays leads to a clever and funny solution.
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昨天 ，我们四个人一起吃饭。
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
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它们 昨天 就没有吃的东西了。
In this funny HSK 2 story, a boy asks his father for money every day. When his father tries to teach him a lesson, the boy's clever reply will make you laugh.
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昨天 你找我要五块钱，今天你再要五块钱，明天是不是还要再要五块钱。
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
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六七八九十， 昨天 星期四；十四是十四，四十是四十。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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