Basic Meaning
"昨天" means "yesterday," referring to the day before today. It is commonly used to talk about events or actions that happened in the immediate past.
Usage and Collocations
"昨天" is often combined with verbs indicating actions or events, such as 去 (go), 发生 (happen), or 开始 (start). It usually appears at the beginning of a sentence or clause to set the time frame.
Common Collocations
- 昨天晚上 (zuótiān wǎnshàng): last night
- 昨天早上 (zuótiān zǎoshang): yesterday morning
- 昨天的新闻 (zuótiān de xīnwén): yesterday's news
Notes
"昨天" is a fixed time expression and does not change form. It contrasts with 今天 (today) and 明天 (tomorrow). Avoid confusing it with 昨晚, which specifically means "last night."