From 起床 to 睡觉: Daily Routine in Chinese (A1)

Imagine telling a friend about your day—in Chinese. In this beginner-friendly lesson, you’ll learn essential daily routine words, simple time expressions, and easy patterns to describe what you do from morning to night. We’ll practice right away with short exercises so you can start speaking about your routine confidently.

Core daily routine words

Here are common actions you’ll use to describe your day. Tap through, say them aloud, and notice the verb-object patterns.

起床 qǐchuáng
to get up
verb
我七点起床。
I get up at seven.
刷牙 shuā yá
to brush teeth
verb
我起床以后刷牙。
I brush my teeth after getting up.
洗脸 xǐ liǎn
to wash face
verb
我先洗脸，再刷牙。
I wash my face first, then brush my teeth.
吃早饭 chī zǎofàn
to eat breakfast
verb
我七点半吃早饭。
I eat breakfast at seven thirty.
上班 shàngbān
to go to work / be at work
verb
我八点上班。
I go to work at eight.
上学 shàngxué
to go to school
verb
我八点上学。
I go to school at eight.
下班 xiàbān
to finish work
verb
我五点下班。
I finish work at five.
回家 huí jiā
to go home
verb
我六点回家。
I go home at six.
做饭 zuòfàn
to cook
verb
我晚上做饭。
I cook in the evening.
洗澡 xǐzǎo
to take a shower/bath
verb
我睡觉前洗澡。
I shower before sleeping.
看电视 kàn diànshì
to watch TV
verb
我晚上看电视。
I watch TV in the evening.
睡觉 shuìjiào
to sleep
verb
我十点睡觉。
I go to sleep at ten.

Example: a simple routine

Mandarin
我每天七点起床，七点半吃早饭，八点上班。
Lit: / I every day seven o’clock get up, seven thirty eat breakfast, eight o’clock go to work /
I get up at seven every day, eat breakfast at seven thirty, and go to work at eight.
我起床七点。 → 我七点起床。 Put the time before the verb. Subject + time + verb.

Try it: fill the verb

Put the right verb in each sentence to match the meaning.

我七点。

我七点半早饭。

我八点。

Telling simple time

You’ll mostly use 点 (diǎn = o’clock) and 半 (bàn = half). A1-friendly times:

  • 七点 = 7:00
  • 七点半 = 7:30
  • 十点 = 10:00

Ask “What time…?” with 几点 (jǐ diǎn).

Mandarin
你几点起床？
Lit: you what-time get-up?
What time do you get up?
Mandarin
我七点半吃早饭。
Lit: I seven o’clock half eat breakfast.
I eat breakfast at 7:30.

Quick check: time and order

🧠 Time & word order basics

Sequencing your day: 先…然后…再…

To say what you do first and then, use:

  • 先 (first)… 然后 (then)… 再 (and then)…

You don’t need all three every time—two is fine!

Mandarin
我先刷牙，然后吃早饭。
Lit: I first brush-teeth, then eat breakfast.
I brush my teeth first, then eat breakfast.
Mandarin
我先上班，再开会。
Lit: I first go-to-work, then hold meeting.
I go to work first, then have a meeting.
🔠 Put the words in order

Put subject first; 先…然后… pattern.

🔠 Put the words in order

Subject + time + verb.

Mini-dialogue practice

Put the conversation lines in the right order.

💬 Morning chat

Culture & usage notes

  • 早上 vs 上午: 早上 is early morning (roughly 6–9/10am). 上午 is the morning before noon, more general. Both are common in routines.
  • Breakfast words: Mainland Mandarin often says 早饭 (breakfast). You may also hear 早餐. Typical items include 包子 (steamed buns), 粥 (congee), 油条 (fried dough sticks), and 豆浆 (soy milk).
  • Work-life words: 上班 (to go/be at work), 下班 (to finish work). Many people also say 打卡 (to clock in) at the office.

Keep your sentences short and clear at A1: time + verb is enough!

刷 verb: brush 牙 noun: tooth(s)
上 verb: go up/to 班 noun: shift/work-duty
睡 verb: sleep 觉 noun: sleep (as a concept)

More practice: fill in with time or action

Use a time (e.g., 七点, 七点半, 晚上) or an action you learned.

我起床。

我晚上。

我先，然后

Wrap-up: build your routine

  • Start with 我每天… (I every day…)
  • Add times: 七点, 七点半, 八点…
  • Use 先…然后… to connect actions.

Try to say 3–5 sentences:

我每天七点起床，七点半吃早饭。八点上班。晚上我做饭，然后看电视。十点睡觉。

You’ve got this! Practice with a friend: ask 你几点起床？ and answer with a time. Keep it simple and consistent—A1 success is all about clarity.