afternoon in Chinese

How to write 下午

Animated stroke order — tap a character to replay. Look up any character's stroke order → Printable writing worksheet for 下午 →

下午 is listed in the official HSK vocabulary at HSK 1. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

下午 in a sentence

• 我wǒ们men下xià午wǔ见jiàn面miàn。

  Let's meet in the afternoon.

• 下xià午wǔ三sān点diǎn我wǒ有yǒu课kè。

  I have class at three in the afternoon.

• 今jīn天tiān下xià午wǔ天tiān气qì很hěn好hǎo。

  The weather is nice this afternoon.

下午 vs 中午 vs 晚上

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 中午 zhōng wǔ noon; midday

  中午 = noon/midday (roughly 11–1); 下午 = the afternoon after it.

• 晚上 wǎn shang evening

  The next slot — 下午 afternoon gives way to 晚上 evening/night.