Time Before the Verb
Place time words like 今天, 明天, and 现在 before the verb phrase.
Pattern
Subject + time + verb phrase
Put when something happens before the action.
我今天去学校。
When to use Time Before the Verb
Chinese time words usually come early: after the subject or before the subject for emphasis. They do not normally sit at the very end like English adverbs can.
她明天来我家。
She is coming to my home tomorrow.
你现在有时间吗？
Do you have time now?
晚上我想喝茶。
In the evening I want to drink tea.
我们下午学习中文。
We study Chinese in the afternoon.
Common traps
- Do not leave the time word dangling at the end by default.
- Time can come before the subject when it sets the scene.
- Do not use 在 before every time word.
Targeted drill
Practice this exact pattern before moving on.
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