Making Plans in Chinese 约时间
yuē shíjiān
Set a time to meet in Chinese is 约时间 (yuē shí jiān).
Also searched for as: invite, are you free, arrange to meet, make plans.
How do you get everyone together? 15 essential making plans words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The verb for making plans with someone in Chinese is 约 (yuē), to arrange to meet, as in 我们约个时间吧 (wǒ men yuē ge shí jiān ba), 'let's set a time'. These words cover the whole process: checking whether someone is 有空 (yǒu kòng), free, agreeing where to 见面 (jiàn miàn), putting things off with 改天 (gǎi tiān), and sealing the deal with the cheerful 不见不散 (bù jiàn bù sàn), 'we won't leave until we've met'.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 有空 | yǒu kòng | to be free |
| 约 | yuē | to arrange to meet |
| 见面 | jiàn miàn | to meet up |
| 几点 | jǐ diǎn | what time |
| 不见不散 | bù jiàn bù sàn | be there or be square |
| 改天 | gǎi tiān | another day |
| 下次 | xià cì | next time |
| 取消 | qǔ xiāo | to cancel |
| 推迟 | tuī chí | to postpone |
| 准时 | zhǔn shí | on time |
| 晚到 | wǎn dào | to arrive late |
| 叫上 | jiào shàng | to bring along; to invite |
| 定 | dìng | to fix; to decide |
| 时间 | shí jiān | time |
| 到时候见 | dào shí hou jiàn | see you then |
Usage tips
- 改天 (gǎi tiān) 'another day' is often a polite way to decline without fixing a new date, much like 'let's do it some time'; if someone really wants to meet, they'll suggest a specific day.
- 那就这么定了 (nà jiù zhè me dìng le) 'that's settled then' is the natural way to close an arrangement, often followed by 到时候见 (dào shí hou jiàn), 'see you then'.
- 叫上 (jiào shàng) is how you include someone else: 叫上小王一起来 (jiào shàng Xiǎo Wáng yī qǐ lái), 'bring Xiao Wang along'.
Common mistakes
- Saying 见面你 for 'meet you' → 见面 (jiàn miàn) already contains its object, so put the person before it: 跟你见面 (gēn nǐ jiàn miàn).
- Using 几点 (jǐ diǎn) to ask which day → 几点 asks for a clock time; for the day ask 哪天 (nǎ tiān) or 什么时候 (shén me shí hou).
Mini dialogue
- A你明天晚上有空吗？我们一起吃饭吧。Nǐ míng tiān wǎn shang yǒu kòng ma? Wǒ men yī qǐ chī fàn ba.Are you free tomorrow evening? Let's have dinner.
- B明天不行，要加班。改天吧？Míng tiān bù xíng, yào jiā bān. Gǎi tiān ba?Tomorrow's no good, I have to work late. Another day?
- A那周六呢？叫上小王一起来。Nà zhōu liù ne? Jiào shàng Xiǎo Wáng yī qǐ lái.What about Saturday? Bring Xiao Wang along too.
- B好啊！几点见？在哪儿见面？Hǎo a! Jǐ diǎn jiàn? Zài nǎr jiàn miàn?Great! What time? Where shall we meet?
- A七点，饭店门口，不见不散！Qī diǎn, fàn diàn mén kǒu, bù jiàn bù sàn!Seven, outside the restaurant. See you there!
Example sentences
- 你明天有空吗？Are you free tomorrow?
- 我们约个时间吧。Let's pick a time.
- 我们在哪儿见面？Where shall we meet?
- 几点见？What time shall we meet?
- 七点门口，不见不散！Seven at the entrance, see you there!
- 今天不行，改天吧。Not today, another day.
- 下次一起去！Let's go together next time!
- 下雨了，活动取消了。It's raining, the event's cancelled.
- 会议推迟到明天。The meeting's been pushed to tomorrow.
- 一定要准时到。Make sure you're on time.
- 我可能会晚到十分钟。I might be ten minutes late.
- 叫上小王一起来。Bring Xiao Wang along too.
- 那就这么定了。That's settled then.
- 什么时间方便？What time suits you?
- 好，到时候见！OK, see you then!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Making plans speaking island has 8 everyday questions about making plans to prepare your own answers to.