中午
noon; midday
zhōngwǔ
What does 中午 mean?
中午 (zhōngwǔ) means 'noon' or 'midday' — the time period in the middle of the day, roughly 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., centered on 12 noon. Literally 'middle-noon,' it pairs with the other times of day every Mandarin learner needs: 早上 (morning), 上午 (late morning, before noon), 中午 (noon / lunch period), 下午 (afternoon), 晚上 (evening). A few practical notes.
First, 中午 is the time block strongly associated with lunch — '中午吃什么' is asking 'what are you having for lunch'. Second, 中午 functions as a time-when expression directly, no preposition needed: 我中午回家 (I'm going home at noon), not 在中午. Third, when telling clock time, 中午十二点
Character breakdown
middle; center
noon; the 7th of the 12 earthly branches (associated with the horse and midday)
Memory hook: 中 (middle) + 午 (noon-hour) = the middle of the day = noon.
Example sentences
中午我们一起吃饭吧。
Zhōngwǔ wǒmen yìqǐ chī fàn ba.
Let's have lunch together at noon.
spoken
我中午不在家。
Wǒ zhōngwǔ bú zài jiā.
I'm not home at noon.
neutral
今天中午很热。
Jīntiān zhōngwǔ hěn rè.
It's very hot at noon today.
spoken
明天中午十二点见。
Míngtiān zhōngwǔ shí'èr diǎn jiàn.
See you tomorrow at 12 noon.
neutral
Common phrases with 中午
Synonyms
正午 specifically means '12:00 sharp / high noon' and is more formal/literary. 中午 covers the broader noon period (roughly 11-1) and is everyday speech.
Don't confuse 中午 with
FAQ
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