Chinese Time Words: Position in the Sentence

Level: beginner (HSK 1). English lets you drop “when” at the end — “I work today”. Mandarin does not: a time-when word comes before the verb, usually right after the subject. Getting this one position right makes your sentences sound natural fast.

The rule

A time-when word 时间词 (shíjiāncí) says when something happens: 今天 (jīntiān, today), 现在 (xiànzài, now), 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow), 昨天 (zuótiān, yesterday), 每天 (měitiān, every day), 晚上 (wǎnshang, in the evening).

The default position is after the subject and before the verb:

• 我今天工作。 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò) — I work today. [subject 我 (wǒ) → time 今天 (jīntiān) → verb 工作 (gōngzuò)]
• 他现在睡觉。 (tā xiànzài shuìjiào) — He is sleeping now.

Because Chinese verbs do not change for tense, this time word is what carries the timing. 吃 (chī, eat) looks the same for past, present and future; 昨天 (zuótiān) or 明天 (míngtiān) tells you which.

When a sentence also has a place, the order is Subject + Time + Place + Verb:

• 我今天在家工作。 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò) — I work at home today. [time 今天 (jīntiān) → place 在家 (zài jiā) → verb 工作 (gōngzuò)]

A time word may also move in front of the subject, which gives it a little emphasis (topic position):

• 今天我很忙。 (jīntiān wǒ hěn máng) — Today I’m very busy. [time first, then subject]

Both 我今天很忙 (wǒ jīntiān hěn máng) and 今天我很忙 (jīntiān wǒ hěn máng) are correct; the only place a time word cannot go is after the verb.

The pattern at a glance

Read straight across: 我今天在家工作 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò) — “I work at home today.”

Example sentences

Common mistakes

• ❌ 我工作今天。 (wǒ gōngzuò jīntiān) → ✅ 我今天工作。 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò) A time-when word goes before the verb, not at the end.
• ❌ 我吃饭现在。 (wǒ chī fàn xiànzài) → ✅ 我现在吃饭。 (wǒ xiànzài chī fàn) Same rule: 现在 (xiànzài) comes before the verb.
• ❌ 我今天工作在家。 (wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò zài jiā) → ✅ 我今天在家工作。 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò) Place also goes before the verb, after the time.
• ❌ 我在家今天工作。 (wǒ zài jiā jīntiān gōngzuò) → ✅ 我今天在家工作。 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò) When both appear, time comes before place.
• ❌ 我今天学了中文两年。 (wǒ jīntiān xué le Zhōngwén liǎng nián) → ✅ 我学了两年中文。 (wǒ xué le liǎng nián Zhōngwén) Duration (how long) goes after the verb, not with the when-word.

A short conversation

A: 你今天做什么？ (Nǐ jīntiān zuò shénme?) — What are you doing today? B: 我今天在家工作。 (Wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò.) — I’m working at home today. A: 你明天也工作吗？ (Nǐ míngtiān yě gōngzuò ma?) — Are you working tomorrow too? B: 不 (bù)，明天我休息。 (Míngtiān wǒ xiūxi.) — No, tomorrow I’m resting.

Usage notes

• No tense on the verb. The time word carries the timing: 昨天 (zuótiān) past, 今天 (jīntiān) present, 明天 (míngtiān) future. The verb never conjugates.
• Two legal spots for a time word: after the subject 我今天 (wǒ jīntiān) or before it 今天我 (jīntiān wǒ). Fronting it adds emphasis. It can never follow the verb.
• Time before place. With both, the order is time then place: 我今天在家工作 (wǒ jīntiān zài jiā gōngzuò).
• Negation stays on the verb. 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) sit right before the verb, after the time word: 我现在不工作 (wǒ xiànzài bù gōngzuò).

Compared with…

• Basic word order — the backbone is Subject + Verb + Object; time and place slot in before the verb. See basic word order.
• Place with 在 (zài) — a where-phrase like 在家 (zài jiā) also sits before the verb, right after the time word; review it in 在 (zài) for location.
• Duration (time how long) — unlike time-when, a stretch of time such as 两年 (liǎng nián) goes after the verb: 我学了两年中文 (wǒ xué le liǎng nián Zhōngwén). Keep the two apart.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

Next

• Build the backbone first: basic word order
• Add places with 在 (zài) for location
• Back to the Chinese grammar section