wǎnshang: 晚上 - Evening, Night

• Keywords: wanshang, 晚上, Chinese for evening, Chinese for night, wanshang hao, 晚上好, good evening in Chinese, time of day in Chinese, learn Chinese evening, Chinese time words
• Summary: Learn how to use “晚上” (wǎnshang), the essential Chinese word for “evening” and “night.” This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural context, and practical use in daily conversation, from greetings like “晚上好” (wǎnshang hǎo) to making plans for the night. Master this HSK 1 term to accurately describe the time of day after sunset in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): wǎnshang
• Part of Speech: Noun (Time Word)
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: The period of the day from after sunset until around midnight; evening, night.
• In a Nutshell: “晚上” is your go-to, everyday word for the part of the day after work and before you go to sleep. It covers what English speakers would call both “evening” (the social hours) and “night” (the sleeping hours). It's used for greetings, scheduling activities, or simply talking about what happened last night.

• 晚 (wǎn): This character means “late” or “evening.” It's composed of the radical 日 (rì), meaning “sun,” and a phonetic component 免 (miǎn). You can think of it as the time when the sun (日) is “excused” or gone for the day.
• 上 (shàng): This character's primary meaning is “on,” “up,” or “above.” However, when used with time words like 早上 (zǎoshang - morning) or 晚上 (wǎnshang), it functions as a suffix to denote a specific period of time. It doesn't carry its literal meaning of “on top of.”
• Together, 晚上 literally means something like “on the late [period],” which has evolved to mean “evening” or “nighttime.”

In Chinese culture, 晚上 is an important time for family and relaxation. While the workday is often structured and formal, the evening is when people return home for the most important meal of the day, 晚饭 (wǎnfàn - dinner), which is a key moment for family connection. It's the time for children to do homework, for families to watch TV together, and for friends to socialize. A key difference from Western culture is how broadly `晚上` is used. In English, we often distinguish between “evening” (e.g., “Let's meet at 7 this evening”) and “night” (e.g., “I slept well last night”). In Chinese, `晚上` covers both contexts seamlessly. You use `晚上` to make plans for 7 PM, and you also use it to describe something that happened at 11 PM while you were sleeping. The concept of “evening” as a distinct social period and “night” as a distinct sleeping period is less sharply defined; `晚上` simply refers to the dark part of the day before the new day begins.

`晚上` is an extremely common word used in virtually all contexts, from casual chats to formal announcements.

• Greetings: The standard greeting `晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo)` means “Good evening.” It's polite and can be used with anyone, from a shopkeeper to a teacher or a business associate, when meeting them in the evening.
• Making Plans: It is essential for scheduling. You will constantly hear and use it to arrange activities after work or school. For example: “我们晚上去看电影吧” (Let's go to the movies tonight).
• Describing Time: It's used as a general time marker for past, present, or future events. For example: “我昨天晚上没睡好” (I didn't sleep well last night).

The term is neutral and its formality depends on the context of the sentence. Using it in `晚上好` is slightly more formal than a simple `你好 (nǐ hǎo)`, but the word itself is an everyday staple.

• Example 1:
  • 晚上好，张老师！
  • Pinyin: Wǎnshang hǎo, Zhāng lǎoshī!
  • English: Good evening, Teacher Zhang!
  • Analysis: A standard, polite greeting used when meeting someone in the evening. This is the equivalent of “Good evening.”
• Example 2:
  • 你今天晚上有空吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ jīntiān wǎnshang yǒu kòng ma?
  • English: Are you free this evening?
  • Analysis: A very common way to ask about someone's availability to make plans for the night.
• Example 3:
  • 我们晚上七点在饭店门口见。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen wǎnshang qī diǎn zài fàndiàn ménkǒu jiàn.
  • English: Let's meet at the restaurant entrance at 7 PM tonight.
  • Analysis: This shows how `晚上` is used with a specific time to clarify that it's PM, not AM.
• Example 4:
  • 昨天晚上的电影真有意思。
  • Pinyin: Zuótiān wǎnshang de diànyǐng zhēn yǒuyìsi.
  • English: The movie last night was really interesting.
  • Analysis: Here, `晚上` is used to refer to a past event that occurred during the nighttime.
• Example 5:
  • 我习惯晚上洗澡。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xíguàn wǎnshang xǐzǎo.
  • English: I'm used to showering at night.
  • Analysis: Used to describe a routine or a habitual action that takes place in the evening.
• Example 6:
  • 他整个晚上都在准备考试。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhěnggè wǎnshang dōu zài zhǔnbèi kǎoshì.
  • English: He was studying for the exam the entire evening.
  • Analysis: The phrase `整个晚上` (zhěnggè wǎnshang) means “the whole evening/night,” emphasizing the duration.
• Example 7:
  • 这个周末的晚上你有什么计划？
  • Pinyin: Zhège zhōumò de wǎnshang nǐ yǒu shé me jìhuà?
  • English: What plans do you have for the weekend nights?
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how `晚上` can be used with other time frames like “weekend” (周末). Note the plural “nights” is natural in the English translation, but `晚上` remains singular.
• Example 8:
  • 晚上开车要小心一点。
  • Pinyin: Wǎnshang kāichē yào xiǎoxīn yīdiǎn.
  • English: Be a little more careful when driving at night.
  • Analysis: A general piece of advice or instruction related to the nighttime.
• Example 9:
  • 我通常晚上十一点睡觉。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ tōngcháng wǎnshang shíyī diǎn shuìjiào.
  • English: I usually go to sleep at 11 PM.
  • Analysis: Combining `晚上` with a specific late hour clearly falls into what an English speaker might call “night,” showing the word's versatility.
• Example 10:
  • 不管多忙，他每天晚上都会给家人打电话。
  • Pinyin: Bùguǎn duō máng, tā měitiān wǎnshang dūhuì gěi jiārén dǎ diànhuà.
  • English: No matter how busy he is, he calls his family every night.
  • Analysis: This highlights a daily routine and the cultural importance of family connection in the evening.

• `晚上` (wǎnshang) vs. `晚安` (wǎn'ān): This is the most common mistake for beginners.
  • `晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo)` is a greeting (“Good evening”), used when you meet someone.
  • `晚安 (wǎn'ān)` is a farewell (“Good night”), used when you are leaving or going to sleep.
  • Incorrect: Walking into an evening class and saying “`晚安，老师!`” (Wǎn'ān, lǎoshī!). This means “Good night, teacher!” as if you're putting them to bed.
  • Correct: “`晚上好，老师!`” (Wǎnshang hǎo, lǎoshī!).
• `晚上` (wǎnshang) vs. `夜晚` (yèwǎn) / `夜里` (yèli):
  • `晚上` is the general, all-purpose word for the dark part of the day.
  • `夜晚 (yèwǎn)` and `夜里 (yèli)` are more specific. They emphasize the “deep of the night,” the quiet hours when most people are asleep. `夜晚` is also slightly more literary or formal. You wouldn't greet someone with “`夜晚好`.”
  • Example: You would say, “我昨天晚上做了个梦” (I had a dream last night). But if you wanted to emphasize that you woke up in the dead of night, you might say, “我半夜里醒了” (I woke up in the middle of the night).

• 早上 (zǎoshang) - Morning. The opposite of `晚上` in the daily cycle.
• 下午 (xiàwǔ) - Afternoon. The time period that comes just before `晚上`.
• 晚饭 (wǎnfàn) - Dinner / Supper. The meal eaten during `晚上`.
• 晚安 (wǎn'ān) - Good night. A farewell phrase used at the end of the `晚上` before sleeping.
• 夜晚 (yèwǎn) - Night / Nighttime. A more formal or literary term for the dark hours, often emphasizing quietness or atmosphere.
• 半夜 (bànyè) - Midnight / Middle of the night. A more specific point within the later part of `晚上`.
• 凌晨 (língchén) - Before dawn / Very early morning (approx. 1-5 AM). The period that follows the deep of night and precedes morning.
• 天黑 (tiān hēi) - To get dark. The verb phrase describing the transition into `晚上`.
• 熬夜 (áoyè) - To stay up late / To pull an all-nighter. An activity one might do during `晚上`.