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中午
zhōngwǔ
noon
我们中午在食堂吃饭。
We eat lunch in the cafeteria at noon.
neutral
The middle part of the day, roughly from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
中午的太阳最毒。
The sun is strongest at noon.
他中午有会议，不能出去。
He has a meeting at noon and can't go out.
Often used to indicate the time around midday for meals or activities.
Pro Tip
Distinguishing 中午, 上午, and 下午
中午 is the midday period (around 11 a.m.–1 p.m.), while 上午 (morning) and 下午 (afternoon) refer to broader time ranges. Think of 中午 as the 'lunch hour' window.
Word Origin
Composed of '中' (middle) and '午' (horse, representing the time around 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in the traditional Chinese time system).
Usage Notes
Used to refer to the time period around midday. In formal contexts, '正午' (exact noon) may be used for precision.
Word Breakdown
中
middle
root午
horse (representing the time around 11 a.m.–1 p.m.)
root汉英词典