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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'today' with 今天 (jīntiān)

    Time Expressions

    Structure

    今天 + Verb Phrase

    Explanation

    今天 (jīntiān) is the standard Chinese word for 'today,' referring to the current day. It is commonly placed at the beginning of a sentence or before the verb to set the time frame. For example, 今天是一个特别的日子 means 'Today is a special day.'

    Examples

    • 今天天气真不错，我们出去走走吧。

      jīntiān tiānqì zhēn búcuò, wǒmen chūqù zǒuzǒu ba.

      The weather is really nice today; let's go for a walk.

    • 你今天下班以后有空吗？

      nǐ jīntiān xiàbān yǐhòu yǒu kòng ma?

      Are you free after work today?

    • 今天我想早点睡觉。

      jīntiān wǒ xiǎng zǎodiǎn shuìjiào.

      I want to go to bed early today.

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    Expressing 'today' with 今天 (jīntiān) | Chinese Grammar