<p>By "the beginning/middle/end", commonly Chinese words 初，开头，开始 /中，中间 /末，末尾，结尾 are related to them.</p>

<ul>
<li><strong>the beginning  /      middle     /end of the week (was hot)</strong> 
<code>一周初，一周开始/ ? 一周中间(几天) /周末............In Chinese, there's not an commonly used expression for middle of a weekend. we don't say it much.</code></li>
<li><strong>the beginning/middle/end of the book (was exciting)</strong> 
<code>书的开头      /中间  /末尾，结尾</code></li>
<li><strong>the beginning/middle/end of the summer (is when students arrive)</strong>
<code>夏初  /仲夏   /夏末.......... “仲夏” is relatively literary. We don't say “夏中” much, personally I've never seen it before.</code></li>
<li><strong>the beginning/middle/end of the year (seemed promising)</strong>
<code>年初      /年中   /年末，年尾，年终..........As “年中” and “年终” share the same pronunciation &lt;niɑ̄n zhōng&gt;, make it clear if you use them in daily oral expression.</code></li>
<li><strong>the beginning/middle/end of the speech (was inaudible)</strong>
<code>演讲开始   /中间  /末尾，结尾</code></li>
<li><strong>the beginning/middle/end of the word ....</strong>
<code>as above</code></li>
<li><strong>the beginning/middle/end of the movie</strong>
<code>as above</code></li>
<li><strong>the beginning/middle           /end of the hour</strong>
<code>一小时开头     /半小时(eg. 3:30) / ？  .......We don't directly say "end of an hour" much in Chinese, but this: when you wanna say end of an hour like 4:50, just say “快5点” or “接近5点” or “将近5点”</code></li>
</ul>

<p>Hope above helps. BTW, it may not be the same as your teacher told you, while I speak Mandarin of mainland China, there's few tiny differences of the language between Mainland and Taiwan, but feel free.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-28T10:10:27.323Z
2016-06-28T10:10:27.323Z
zytt
<p>I'm taking private Mandarin classes in Taipei. I'm having trouble referring to the beginning/middle/end of things. I asked my teacher how to say this, and the more I explained the more confused she got. Is this a cultural difference? </p>

<p>After some discussion, this basically seems to be a strange idea to communicate to her. But I'm having a hard time accepting this. </p>

<p>For example I asked how to say "the beginning of the week was rainy" She offered something involving me as the subject: 我剛開始 (wǒ gāng kāi shǐ
)... I explained It doesn't have anything to do with me. So now I'm more confused as I look over my notes. For whatever reason, it appears that referring to the beginning/middle/end of things requires a verb in Mandarin? I can accept this if I have to, but could someone help me put the following ideas into Mandarin:</p>

<pre><code>the beginning/middle/end of the week (was hot)
the beginning/middle/end of the book (was exciting)
the beginning/middle/end of the summer (is when students arrive)
the beginning/middle/end of the year (seemed promising)
the beginning/middle/end of the speech (was inaudible)
the beginning/middle/end of the word ....
the beginning/middle/end of the hour
the beginning/middle/end of the movie
</code></pre>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-28T00:35:51.120Z
初段（time），中段，尾段（space），末段（time）
user6065
<vocabulary>
how to refer to beginning/middle/end in Mandarin?
# how to refer to beginning/middle/end in Mandarin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-27)

I'm taking private Mandarin classes in Taipei. I'm having trouble referring to the beginning/middle/end of things. I asked my teacher how to say this, and the more I explained the more confused she got. Is this a cultural difference?

After some discussion, this basically seems to be a strange idea to communicate to her. But I'm having a hard time accepting this.

For example I asked how to say "the beginning of the week was rainy" She offered something involving me as the subject: 我剛開始 (wǒ gāng kāi shǐ
)... I explained It doesn't have anything to do with me. So now I'm more confused as I look over my notes. For whatever reason, it appears that referring to the beginning/middle/end of things requires a verb in Mandarin? I can accept this if I have to, but could someone help me put the following ideas into Mandarin:

```
the beginning/middle/end of the week (was hot)
the beginning/middle/end of the book (was exciting)
the beginning/middle/end of the summer (is when students arrive)
the beginning/middle/end of the year (seemed promising)
the beginning/middle/end of the speech (was inaudible)
the beginning/middle/end of the word ....
the beginning/middle/end of the hour
the beginning/middle/end of the movie

```

Thanks!!

**Tags:** vocabulary

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 初段（time），中段，尾段（space），末段（time）  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-06-28. Score: 3

By "the beginning/middle/end", commonly Chinese words 初，开头，开始 /中，中间 /末，末尾，结尾 are related to them.

* **the beginning / middle /end of the week (was hot)**
  `一周初，一周开始/ ? 一周中间(几天) /周末............In Chinese, there's not an commonly used expression for middle of a weekend. we don't say it much.`
* **the beginning/middle/end of the book (was exciting)**
  `书的开头 /中间 /末尾，结尾`
* **the beginning/middle/end of the summer (is when students arrive)**
  `夏初 /仲夏 /夏末.......... “仲夏” is relatively literary. We don't say “夏中” much, personally I've never seen it before.`
* **the beginning/middle/end of the year (seemed promising)**
  `年初 /年中 /年末，年尾，年终..........As “年中” and “年终” share the same pronunciation <niɑ̄n zhōng>, make it clear if you use them in daily oral expression.`
* **the beginning/middle/end of the speech (was inaudible)**
  `演讲开始 /中间 /末尾，结尾`
* **the beginning/middle/end of the word ....**
  `as above`
* **the beginning/middle/end of the movie**
  `as above`
* **the beginning/middle /end of the hour**
  `一小时开头 /半小时(eg. 3:30) / ？ .......We don't directly say "end of an hour" much in Chinese, but this: when you wanna say end of an hour like 4:50, just say “快5点” or “接近5点” or “将近5点”`

Hope above helps. BTW, it may not be the same as your teacher told you, while I speak Mandarin of mainland China, there's few tiny differences of the language between Mainland and Taiwan, but feel free.


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