明天
míngtiān/miŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
The English phrase "tomorrow" is translated into Chinese as 明天 (míngtiān). If unsure, use 明天. Wiktionary also lists 明日 (míngrì) and 明兒 / 明儿 (míngr).
Meaning: on the day after the present day (adv)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 明天 | míngtiān | /miŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /min²¹ tʰiɛn⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 明日 | míngrì | /miŋ³⁵ ɻ̩⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /mɪŋ²¹ jɐt̚²/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 明兒 / 明儿 | míngr | ||
| 明仔日 | bîn-á-li̍t | /bin²⁴⁻²¹ a⁴²⁻²⁴ lit̚⁴³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Singapore, Philippines, Sinological IPA) /bin²⁴⁻³³ a⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lit̚⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Singapore, Philippines, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 隔轉工 / 隔转工 | keh-tńg-kang | Hokkien | |
| 隔轉日 / 隔转日 | keh-tńg-li̍t | Hokkien | |
| 明兒個 / 明儿个 | míngrge | dialectal |
All forms listed here are used to refer to the day after the present day as an adverb.
What does it mean word for word?
The standard form 明天 is a combination of 明, meaning bright or clear and 天, meaning day, literally translating to "bright day".
Which one should you use?
While 明天 is the standard way to say tomorrow, 明日 is a more formal or literary version used in written contexts or formal announcements. The form 明儿 is an informal variant, and 明儿个 is a dialectal version.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, you may use минтян, мир or миргә. In Hokkien, the forms 明仔日, 隔轉工 and 隔轉日 are used. The informal form 明儿 is common in northern China and Beijing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, time adverbs like 明天 are typically placed either before or after the subject, but always before the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
míngtiān
Did you know?
- The Dungan language uses Cyrillic script to write the Chinese word for tomorrow as минтян, reflecting the influence of Soviet linguistic history.
- The Hokkien term 隔轉工 uses the character 工, which often relates to work or labor, reflecting a way of counting days through cycles of activity.
- The character 天 used in 明天 can mean 'day', 'sky' or 'heaven' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- 我明天能来。I can come tomorrow.This sentence is useful for expressing the ability to arrive on a specific day using 明天.Tatoeba #421382 by GlossaMatik, translation #421381 by CM
- 明天會下雨。Tomorrow it will rain.This sentence is useful for predicting weather conditions using 明天.Tatoeba #1507037 by egg0073, translation #1507036 by voxbubnya
- 明天要開會。I need to have a meeting tomorrow.This sentence is useful for stating a scheduled event or obligation using 明天.Tatoeba #5780176 by xjjAstrus, translation #8732685 by Ada_Virus
- 你明天有什么计划?What are your plans for tomorrow?
- 我们期待着您明日的到来。We look forward to your arrival tomorrow.
- 我们明儿再见！See you tomorrow!
- 我们明早去爬山怎么样？How about we go mountain climbing tomorrow morning?
- 589 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are planning a meetup.
- 雨婷 Yuting浩然，你明天有时间吗？Hàorán, nǐ míngtiān yǒu shíjiān ma?Haoran, do you have time tomorrow?
- 浩然 Haoran明天可以，你想做什么？Míngtiān kěyǐ, nǐ xiǎng zuò shénme?Tomorrow is fine, what do you want to do?
- 雨婷 Yuting我们明天一起去喝咖啡吧。Wǒmen míngtiān yìqǐ qù hē kāfēi ba.Let's go drink coffee together tomorrow.
- 浩然 Haoran好，雨婷，明天见。Hǎo, Yǔtíng, míngtiān jiàn.Okay, Yuting, see you tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tomorrow” translations and entries 明天, 明日, 明仔日, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
