In Chinese, time words like 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow) go before the verb, not at the end of the sentence the way they do in English. If you're working through HSK 1 and want to use this pattern confidently in speech, this live voice lesson walks you through it step by step. Afterward, you'll be able to tell someone when you're doing something — going somewhere tomorrow, watching a movie today, or buying things on Saturday.
The core pattern is simple: Subject + Time Word + Verb. In the example sentence 我明天去北京 (wǒ míngtiān qù Běijīng, "I go to Beijing tomorrow."), the time word 明天 (míngtiān) sits between the subject 我 (wǒ, I) and the verb 去 (qù, to go). English would place "tomorrow" at the end, but Chinese puts it right before the verb — so the listener knows when the action happens before hearing what the action is.
This is a live conversation lesson — you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time, not by typing. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level. The lesson targets this single grammar pattern and takes about 10 minutes. You'll practice forming sentences about your own plans, placing time words in the correct spot each time.
When you're ready, try your first lesson free. You can also browse more HSK 1 lessons, or try another HSK 1 live lesson like "Me Too!" with 也 (yě) or "Pointing Things Out" with 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà). To reinforce your vocabulary, use the free Chinese worksheet generator for printable handwriting practice covering HSK 1–3 words.
Time words go before the verb, usually right after the subject. The pattern is Subject + Time Word + Verb. In 我明天去北京 (wǒ míngtiān qù Běijīng), 明天 (míngtiān) sits between 我 (wǒ) and 去 (qù). This is the core of Time Word Placement, and the Planning Your Day lesson drills it through real conversation with Mei Lin.
You'll be able to tell someone when you're doing something — like going somewhere tomorrow, watching a movie today, or buying things on Saturday. The Planning Your Day lesson focuses on building sentences with the Subject + Time Word + Verb pattern so you can talk about your schedule naturally in spoken Chinese.
Each live conversation lesson targets one specific grammar pattern and takes about 10 minutes. In this lesson, you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin, who corrects your grammar and pronunciation as you go and adapts to your level. You can try your first lesson free.
Yes — you can use the free Chinese Worksheet Generator to print handwriting worksheets with HSK 1–3 vocabulary. Ready-made packs cover a range of HSK 1–3 words, so you can reinforce characters like 我 (wǒ) and 去 (qù) alongside your live speaking practice.