n.
afternoon; p.m.
下午
afternoon; p.m.
Afternoon hours between noon and evening sunset.
Common Usage & Traps
- 一天下午 — one afternoon
- 下午三点 — 3 p.m.; three in the afternoon
- 今天下午 — this afternoon
- 下午好 — good afternoon
- 下午见 — see you this afternoon
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去下午下午去English says go in the afternoon with the time after the verb. Chinese normally puts 下午 before the verb.
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三点下午下午三点Chinese time order goes from big to small: afternoon before hour, not hour before afternoon.
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下午（当问候语）下午好下午 alone names the time of day. It does not work as a stand-alone Good afternoon.
Why does Chinese put 下午 before the verb while English often puts 'in the afternoon' after it?
Chinese time words like 下午 normally go before the verb, not after it.
English often puts in the afternoon after the verb, so word-for-word translation gives 去下午. Chinese treats 下午 as part of the time setup, so it comes before the action. You can start the sentence with it, as in 下午我去, or put it after the subject: 我下午去. The story sentence uses 一天下午 before 白天明去, which is the natural pattern.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Time before verb | 我下午去。 | 我去下午。 |
| Time at sentence start | 下午我去。 | 我去下午。 |
| Time plus place | 下午我去学校。 | 我去学校下午。 |
| Question | 你下午去吗？ | 你去下午吗？ |
Can you just say 下午 to mean 'Good afternoon'?
No. 下午 alone is just a time word; the greeting is 下午好.
Learners sometimes drop the 好 because English Good afternoon hides it inside one phrase. In Chinese, 下午 by itself means the part of the day, not a greeting. Use 下午好 when you greet someone, especially in formal or service settings. For casual friends, people often just say 嗨 or 你好.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-alone greeting | 下午好 | 下午 |
| Time reference | 下午我有课。 | 下午好我有课。 |
| Meeting phrase | 下午见 | 下午好见 |
Where does 中午 end and 下午 begin?
中午 is around midday; 下午 starts after noon, roughly after 12 p.m.
中午 covers the middle of the day, usually from about 11:30 to 12:30. 下午 begins after that lunchtime window and runs until evening. If the clock says 1 p.m., say 下午一点, not 中午一点. If it is 12:10 and you are still eating lunch, 中午十二点十 can still feel natural.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 中午 | 下午 |
| Typical clock | 11:30–12:30 | 12:00 onward |
| 1 p.m. clock | 下午一点 | 中午一点 |
| Around 11:30 | 中午 | 下午 |
Appears in Stories 10 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
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他 下午 五点半下班回家，六点多到家。
Join a family on a sweltering Beijing Sunday as a boy learns a funny lesson about playing outside in the summer heat. Perfect for HSK 1 learners.
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“现在是 下午 ，天气太热“。
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我和我爱人在北京七月的 下午 两点，坐上车和儿子去学校。
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
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人人爱学习，天天去学校，上午读读书， 下午 写写字。
Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.
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天天 下午 ，桌子上都会多出一个很大的苹果。
Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.
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这个 下午 ，天气很好。
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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上 下午 ，去明年。
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下午 五点半下班。
Welcome! This short poem helps you practice the months, weekdays, and mealtimes in Chinese. Read it aloud and notice the rhythm. You already know many of these words!
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下午 下午 茶，晚上吃晚饭。
Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.
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下午 还上班。
This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!
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上班和下班，上课和下课，上午和 下午 。
A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.
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一天 下午 ，白天明去三号房间看老先生。
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