昨 (zuó) — (bound form) yesterday; the past

Definition

Bound form meaning 'yesterday / past'. It never stands alone — always attaches to 天, 日, or 晚, unlike time words such as 昨天 which work on their own.

bound form
yesterdaythe past
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    zuó Tiān shì xīng qī yī.
    Yesterday was Monday.
  • 。
    zuó Wǎn wǒ shí èr diǎn cái shuì.
    Last night I didn't sleep until twelve.
  • 。
    zuó Rì wǒ men qù le gōng yuán.
    Yesterday we went to the park.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà昨zuó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

昨 pairs 日 (sun/day) with 乍, which gives the sound and may also carry the sense “at first,” relating to an earlier day.

Appears in
Days & Weeks

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