后天
hòutiān
The day after tomorrow · trad. 後天
后天 (hòutiān) is the common way to say “the day after tomorrow” in Mandarin Chinese. It is used in everyday conversations to refer to the day following tomorrow.
What does 后天 (hòutiān) mean?
后天 (hòutiān) means “the day after tomorrow” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “after day.”
When to use it
Neutral and widely used. It's part of the standard sequence of days: 昨天 (zuótiān, “yesterday”), 今天 (jīntiān, “today”), 明天 (míngtiān, “tomorrow”), and 后天 (hòutiān, “the day after tomorrow”).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “HOH-tee-en.” The first syllable has a falling tone, and the second is a high-flat tone.
Other ways to say it
- 明天míngtiāntomorrow
- 昨天zuótiānyesterday
- 大后天dàhòutiāntwo days after tomorrow
Examples
后天是周末。
hòutiān shì zhōumò.
The day after tomorrow is the weekend.
我们后天见面吧。
wǒmen hòutiān jiànmiàn ba.
Let's meet the day after tomorrow.
我明天没空，后天可以吗？
wǒ míngtiān méi kòng, hòutiān kěyǐ ma?
I'm not free tomorrow, is the day after tomorrow okay?
Pro tip: Remember the sequence: 昨天 (yesterday), 今天 (today), 明天 (tomorrow), 后天 (the day after tomorrow).
Related phrases
明天 · Tomorrow昨天 · Yesterday前天 · The day before yesterday
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