下午 (xià wǔ)

Character breakdown

• 下 (xià) · 3 strokes

  Originally a small line or dot below a longer line, indicating "down". The vertical line was added to distinguish the character from 二 (two). Opposite of 上.

• 午 (wǔ) · 4 strokes

  Pictograph of a pestle used for pounding rice, now written as 杵. The current meaning "noon" is a phonetic loan.

Example sentences

1. 下午好。 — Good afternoon.
2. 下午四点。 — At four o'clock in the afternoon.
3. 下午我不在家。 — I'll be absent from home in the afternoon.
4. Ken今天下午很忙。 — Ken is busy this afternoon.
5. 你下午有空吗? — Are you free in the afternoon?

View all 50 example sentences for 下午 →