明天
míngtiān
Tomorrow
明天 (míngtiān) is the standard word for “tomorrow” in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to the day after today and is used in all contexts.
What does 明天 (míngtiān) mean?
明天 (míngtiān) means “tomorrow” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “bright day / next day.”
When to use it
Neutral and universally understood. For “the day after tomorrow,” use 后天 (hòutiān). For “today,” use 今天 (jīntiān).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “MING-tyen.” The first syllable has a rising tone, and the second is a high-level tone.
Other ways to say it
- 今天jīntiāntoday
- 昨天zuótiānyesterday
- 后天hòutiānthe day after tomorrow
Examples
我们明天见面吧。
wǒmen míngtiān jiànmiàn ba.
Let's meet tomorrow.
你明天有空吗？
nǐ míngtiān yǒu kòng ma?
Are you free tomorrow?
明天天气会很好。
míngtiān tiānqì huì hěn hǎo.
The weather will be good tomorrow.
Pro tip: 明天 is a common time word that can be placed at the beginning of a sentence or after the subject.
Related phrases
分钟 · Minute小时 · Hour昨天 · Yesterday
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →