noun (time word) HSK 1
evening · night
Meaning
晚上 refers to the time period from roughly 6 PM until bedtime or midnight. It's one of the most basic time words in Chinese, used daily to talk about evening activities, dinner time, or nighttime events.
Usage
Native speakers use 晚上 naturally in greetings (晚上好 'good evening'), making plans, or describing when something happens. It can refer to both 'this evening' and 'evening' in general depending on context. The word is neutral in register and appropriate for all situations.
Examples
- 01我们晚上七点吃饭。.We eat dinner at 7 PM.
- 02你今天晚上有空吗？?Are you free this evening?
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个晚上
Common collocations
- 晚上好good evening
- 今天晚上this evening, tonight
- 昨天晚上last night, yesterday evening
- 明天晚上tomorrow evening
Antonyms
Origin
晚 originally means 'late' and contains the sun radical 日, suggesting the late part of the day. Combined with 上 (which here functions as a suffix for time periods), it forms 'the late/evening period.'