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March 24, 2026
昨zuó(zuo2)
The character 昨 (zuó) means 'yesterday' in Mandarin. It is commonly used to refer to the day before the current one and can also imply a sense of something that occurred in the past. In broader contexts, it can denote a former situation or condition.
Strokes9Radical日Frequency#29630DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, discussing yesterday or the past can have deep significance, especially in the context of family stories and traditions. The concept of reflecting on past actions or events is often emphasized during festivals and family gatherings.
Memory Tip
Imagine a glowing sun (日) setting behind a mountain (月), symbolizing the end of the day. The character 昨 combines the sun and the moon to represent the transition from today to yesterday. Remember 'zuó' sounds like 'saw,' as in something you saw yesterday.
Meanings of 昨
zuó(zuo2)
1yesterday
2yesterday; formerly, in the past
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 昨
昨Simplified
9Strokes
日Radical
时间词time word (t.)Part of Speech
#29630Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L1
Podcast: 昨
Podcast: 昨
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AI Study Notes for 昨
Quick Contrast
前 (qián, meaning 'before' in a temporal sense) is used for events that occurred prior to a specific point in time, while 昨 (zuó) specifically refers to the day before today.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 昨 with other time-related words like 今天 (jīntiān, today) or 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow). 昨 is used primarily in informal contexts but can also appear in formal speech, especially when discussing past events. Remember to use it with appropriate time indicators.
HSK Study Tips
Although 昨 is not explicitly listed in HSK levels, it is essential for beginners to understand basic time expressions. Students should connect it with related terms like 今天 (today) and 明天 (tomorrow) to build a solid foundation in discussing time.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 昨 with 明 (míng, bright, tomorrow) or 今天 (jīntiān, today). A common error is saying 昨天我吃过 to mean 'Yesterday I will eat.' The correct phrase is 昨天我吃了 (Zuótiān wǒ chī le).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 昨
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Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 乍 represents the sound.
1The meaning half日 carries the sense.
2The sound half乍 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayday
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 昨? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 昨?
Decomposition of 昨
IDS Structure⿰日乍
昨Full Character
=
日Ri4
left
乍zha4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 昨?
How to say yesterday in Chinese
“yesterday” in Chinese is昨zuó
The character 昨 (zuó) means 'yesterday' in Mandarin. It is commonly used to refer to the day before the current one and can also imply a sense of something that occurred in the past. In broader contexts, it can denote a former situation or condition.
When to use 昨
Be careful not to confuse 昨 with other time-related words like 今天 (jīntiān, today) or 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow). 昨 is used primarily in informal contexts but can also appear in formal speech, especially when discussing past events. Remember to use it with appropriate time indicators.
昨 or something close to it
前 (qián, meaning 'before' in a temporal sense) is used for events that occurred prior to a specific point in time, while 昨 (zuó) specifically refers to the day before today.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 昨 with 明 (míng, bright, tomorrow) or 今天 (jīntiān, today). A common error is saying 昨天我吃过 to mean 'Yesterday I will eat.' The correct phrase is 昨天我吃了 (Zuótiān wǒ chī le).
Write 昨
昨
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Practice writing 昨 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 昨
昨 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
