Comparing similar time words

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

ordinarily平时píng shí vs ordinary平常píng cháng (usually / ordinary)

Usually, but not today

• Your grandfather normally goes to bed at nine, but tonight is New Year's Eve.
• (coll.) father's father爷爷yé yéordinarily平时píng shí九点jiǔ diǎnthen / just就jiùto sleep睡shuì(completed / change)了le，today今天jīn tiānbut却quèall along一直yì zhíto wait until等到děng dào十二点shí èr diǎn。 – "Grandpa usually goes to bed at nine, but today he waited up until midnight."

ordinarily平时píng shí = usually, in ordinary times (a time word)

• ordinarily平时píng shí contrasts ordinary days with a special time: ordinarily平时píng shídegree / adjective linker很hěnbusy忙máng，weekend周末zhōu mòonly then / not until才cáito have time (to do sth)有空yǒu kòng.
• It can be a noun: with / and跟gēnordinarily平时píng shísame一样yī yàng – "the same as usual".

he他tāusually平时píng shívery很hěnbusy忙máng，at weekends周末zhōu mòonly then才cáiis free有空yǒu kòng。

ordinary平常píng cháng = usual, ordinary (adjective and time word)

• ordinary平常píng cháng can mean "usually" like ordinarily平时píng shí: I / me我wǒordinary平常píng cháng七点qī diǎnto get out of bed起床qǐ chuáng.
• It can also be an adjective: "ordinary, common": this这zhèto be / is是shìdegree / adjective linker很hěnordinary平常píng cháng(modifier / structural particle)的dematter事shì – "This is a very ordinary thing."

this这zhèis是shìvery很hěnordinary平常píng cháng的dething事shì。

Only ordinary平常píng cháng is an adjective

• "Ordinary" takes ordinary平常píng cháng: degree / adjective linker很hěnordinary平常píng cháng, ordinary平常píng cháng(modifier / structural particle)的deto live生活shēng huó. Not degree / adjective linker很hěnordinarily平时píng shí.
• Both can mean "usually"; ordinarily平时píng shí contrasts more clearly with a special occasion.

Versus regular通常tōng cháng

• regular通常tōng cháng = generally, as a rule, a little more formal: bank银行yín hángregular通常tōng cháng九点jiǔ diǎnto open a door (lit. and…开门kāi mén.
• ordinarily平时píng shí / ordinary平常píng cháng are more about personal routine.

banks银行yín hánggenerally通常tōng chángat nine九点jiǔ diǎnopen开门kāi mén。

Recap

• ordinarily平时píng shí = usually, ordinary times (time word / noun); ordinary平常píng cháng = usually, or "ordinary" (adjective).
• "Ordinary" = ordinary平常píng cháng only; regular通常tōng cháng = as a rule.

Practise this pattern step by step.

after以后yǐ hòu vs after之后zhī hòu (after / afterwards)

In a formal report

• You are writing up what happened after a company meeting.
• meeting会议huì yìtermination结束jié shùafter之后zhī hòu，manager经理jīng lǐto declare宣布xuān bù(completed / change)了lenew新xīn(modifier / structural particle)的deplan计划jì huà。 – "After the meeting ended, the manager announced the new plan."

after以后yǐ hòu and after之后zhī hòu = after

• X + after以后yǐ hòu / after之后zhī hòu both mean "after X": to finish class下课xià kèafter以后yǐ hòu / to finish class下课xià kèafter之后zhī hòu.
• after之后zhī hòu sounds a little more formal and written.

graduation毕业bì yèafter之后zhī hòu，he他tāwent to去qù了leShanghai上海Shàng hǎi。

Alone at the start

• after之后zhī hòu can start a sentence meaning "afterwards": we / us我们wǒ menearly先xiānto go去qù(completed / change)了lemuseum博物馆bó wù guǎn。after之后zhī hòu，we / us我们wǒ mento go去qùto have a meal吃饭chī fàn。
• after以后yǐ hòu alone at the start usually means "in the future, from now on": after以后yǐ hòu我会wǒ huìto take note of注意zhù yì.

afterwards之后zhī hòu，we我们wǒ menwent去qùto eat吃饭chī fàn。

Past "afterwards" versus future "from now on"

• "Afterwards" in a past story: after之后zhī hòu (or afterwards后来hòu lái), not a bare after以后yǐ hòu.
• "From now on": after以后yǐ hòu, not after之后zhī hòu: after以后yǐ hòudon't别biéto arrive late迟到chí dào(completed / change)了le.

With a time span

• Both follow a duration: 三天sān tiānafter以后yǐ hòu / 三天sān tiānafter之后zhī hòu = three days later.
• after之后zhī hòu also pairs with not long (after)不久bù jiǔ: not long (after)不久bù jiǔafter之后zhī hòu – "not long after".

not long不久bù jiǔafter之后zhī hòu，he他tāthen就jiùreturned home回国huí guó了le。

Recap

• X after以后yǐ hòu / X after之后zhī hòu = after X; after之后zhī hòu is more formal.
• Alone: after之后zhī hòu = afterwards (past); after以后yǐ hòu = in the future, from now on.

Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

ordinarily平时píng shí vs ordinary平常píng cháng (usually / ordinary)

2801.1 Complete: “This is a very ordinary thing.” this这zhèto be / is是shìdegree / adjective linker很hěn…………(modifier / structural particle)的dematter事shì。

2801.2 Which is wrong?

• A. with / and跟gēnordinarily平时píng shísame一样yī yàng。
• B. this这zhèto be / is是shìdegree / adjective linker很hěnordinarily平时píng shí(modifier / structural particle)的dematter事shì。
• C. he / him他tāordinarily平时píng shídegree / adjective linker很hěnbusy忙máng。
• D. he / him他tāordinary平常píng chángdegree / adjective linker很hěnbusy忙máng。

2801.3 Build: “He's usually busy; only at weekends is he free.”

Arrange all chunks: only then / not until才cáito have time (to do sth)有空yǒu kòng。 / he / him他tāordinarily平时píng shídegree / adjective linker很hěnbusy忙máng / ， / weekend周末zhōu mò

2801.4 regular通常tōng cháng is a little more formal than ordinarily平时píng shí.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2801.5 Your grandfather normally goes to bed at nine, but tonight is New Year's Eve. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

after以后yǐ hòu vs after之后zhī hòu (after / afterwards)

2802.1 Past story: “We went to the museum. Afterwards, we ate.” we / us我们wǒ mento go去qù(completed / change)了lemuseum博物馆bó wù guǎn。…………，we / us我们wǒ mento go去qùto have a meal吃饭chī fàn。

2802.2 “From now on, please don't be late.” Which fits? ____请别qǐng biéto arrive late迟到chí dào(completed / change)了le。

• A. afterwards后来hòu lái
• B. then / after然后rán hòu
• C. after之后zhī hòu
• D. after以后yǐ hòu

2802.3 Build: “Not long after, he returned home.”

Arrange all chunks: ，he / him他tā / then / just就jiù / not long (after)不久bù jiǔafter之后zhī hòu / to return to one's home…回国huí guó(completed / change)了le。

2802.4 to finish class下课xià kèafter以后yǐ hòu and to finish class下课xià kèafter之后zhī hòu mean the same.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2802.5 You are writing up what happened after a company meeting. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A learner treats graduation毕业bì yèafter以后yǐ hòu as a point before graduation. Repair the temporal relation and compare after之后zhī hòu.

R2. Use it yourself. Describe what you usually do and one action planned after a meeting.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.