下午
xiàwǔ
Afternoon
下午 (xiàwǔ) is the common word for "afternoon" in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to the period of time from noon until evening.
What does 下午 (xiàwǔ) mean?
下午 (xiàwǔ) means “afternoon” in English.
When to use it
Neutral and widely used. For "morning," use 上午 (shàngwǔ); for "noon," use 中午 (zhōngwǔ); and for "evening/night," use 晚上 (wǎnshang).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “SHYAH-woo.” The first syllable has a falling tone, and the second has a rising tone.
Other ways to say it
- 上午shàngwǔmorning
- 中午zhōngwǔnoon
- 晚上wǎnshangevening / night
Examples
我们下午两点见面。
wǒmen xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn jiànmiàn.
Let's meet at 2 PM.
你下午有什么安排吗？
nǐ xiàwǔ yǒu shénme ānpái ma?
Do you have any plans for the afternoon?
我下午要去超市买东西。
wǒ xiàwǔ yào qù chāoshì mǎi dōngxi.
I need to go to the supermarket this afternoon to buy things.
Pro tip: While literally "after noon," 下午 typically refers to the period from about 1 PM to 6 PM.
Related phrases
上午 · A.m. or before noon中午 · Noon晚上 · Evening or night
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