yíngyè shíjiān: 营业时间 - Business Hours, Opening Hours
Quick Summary
Keywords: 营业时间, yíngyè shíjiān, business hours in China, opening hours Chinese, what time do shops open in China, store opening times, what are the opening hours, Chinese for business hours.
Summary: 营业时间 (yíngyè shíjiān) is the essential Chinese term for “business hours” or “opening hours.” This fundamental phrase is crucial for anyone navigating daily life in China, whether you're looking for a restaurant's opening times, checking a bank's schedule, or visiting a museum. Understanding how to read, ask for, and interpret 营业时间 will help you avoid closed doors and make the most of your time. This guide covers its meaning, cultural context (like the common midday break), and practical usage.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): yíngyè shíjiān
Part of Speech: Noun
HSK Level: HSK 4/5 level vocabulary
Concise Definition: The designated period during which a business or establishment is open to the public.
In a Nutshell: 营业时间 is the direct and standard way to say “business hours” in Chinese. It's a compound word that literally means “operating business time.” You'll see it written on the doors of shops, listed on websites, and hear it used when asking when a place is open. It’s a purely practical and informational term you'll encounter everywhere.
Character Breakdown
营 (yíng): This character is related to operating or running a business. Think of it as the “operations” part of “business operations.”
业 (yè): This character means “business,” “trade,” or “industry.” It refers to the commercial activity itself.
时 (shí): A very common character meaning “time” or “hour.”
间 (jiān): This character means “interval,” “space,” or “period.” It often appears after 时 to form 时间 (shíjiān), meaning “time” as a duration or interval.
When combined, 营业 (yíngyè) means “to do business” or “business operations.” Adding 时间 (shíjiān) specifies the “time interval” for those operations. Thus, 营业时间 literally and logically means “business-operation time-interval.”
Cultural Context and Significance
While 营业时间 is a straightforward term, the cultural practices surrounding it are important for foreigners to understand. The biggest difference from many Western countries is the concept of the midday break, or 午休 (wǔxiū).
In many Chinese cities, especially outside of the top-tier metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai, it is common for smaller shops, banks, government offices, and even some company offices to close for a lunch and rest period. This break typically occurs sometime between 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM. A foreigner expecting a bank to be open at 1:00 PM might be surprised to find the doors locked and the staff gone for their 午休.
This contrasts with the typical American/Western expectation that businesses remain open continuously from morning until evening. While large shopping malls, chain restaurants, and 24-hour convenience stores have adopted a non-stop model, the midday break is still a significant part of the rhythm of daily life in much of China. Always be sure to check for a potential break in the listed 营业时间.
Practical Usage in Modern China
营业时间 is a term used in both formal and informal contexts. You will see and hear it constantly.
Finding and Reading Business Hours:
On Signs: Look for a sign on the door or window of an establishment. It will often be formatted like this:
Online: On websites or popular apps like 大众点评 (Dàzhòng Diǎnpíng, China's Yelp), this will be a standard piece of information listed for any venue.
Asking for Business Hours:
The most common and polite way to ask is:
请问，你们的营业时间是什么？
(Qǐngwèn, nǐmen de yíngyè shíjiān shì shénme?)
“Excuse me, what are your business hours?”
You can also be more specific:
Example Sentences
Example 1:
请问，这家银行的营业时间是什么？
Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, zhè jiā yínháng de yíngyè shíjiān shì shénme?
English: Excuse me, what are this bank's business hours?
Analysis: A standard, polite question you would ask to get information about a place's hours.
Example 2:
我们的营业时间是每天上午十点到晚上九点。
Pinyin: Wǒmen de yíngyè shíjiān shì měitiān shàngwǔ shí diǎn dào wǎnshàng jiǔ diǎn.
English: Our business hours are from 10 AM to 9 PM every day.
Analysis: A typical response you would hear from a shopkeeper or see on a sign.
Example 3:
对不起，我们已经过了营业时间，请明天再来。
Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen yǐjīng guòle yíngyè shíjiān, qǐng míngtiān zàilái.
English: Sorry, we are already past our business hours. Please come again tomorrow.
Analysis: This sentence uses 过了 (guòle) to indicate that the time has “passed” or “gone beyond” the closing time.
Example 4:
去之前，你最好在网上查一下他们的营业时间。
Pinyin: Qù zhīqián, nǐ zuìhǎo zài wǎngshàng chá yīxià tāmen de yíngyè shíjiān.
English: Before you go, you'd better check their business hours online.
Analysis: Practical advice that highlights the modern way of checking information.
Example 5:
这家餐厅的营业时间很奇怪，中午会关门休息两个小时。
Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de yíngyè shíjiān hěn qíguài, zhōngwǔ huì guānmén xiūxi liǎng gè xiǎoshí.
English: This restaurant's business hours are very strange; they close for a two-hour break at noon.
Analysis: This sentence directly references the cultural point of the midday break (午休 - wǔxiū).
Example 6:
节假日期间，商场的营业时间会延长。
Pinyin: Jiéjiàrì qíjiān, shāngchǎng de yíngyè shíjiān huì yáncháng.
English: During holidays, the mall's business hours will be extended.
Analysis: Shows how to talk about changes in hours, using 延长 (yáncháng) for “to extend.”
Example 7:
门口的牌子上写着营业时间：周一至周五 9:00-17:00。
Pinyin: Ménkǒu de páizi shàng xiězhe yíngyè shíjiān: zhōuyī zhì zhōuwǔ 9:00-17:00.
English: The sign on the door says business hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00-17:00.
Analysis: This demonstrates how you'd describe reading the business hours from a sign, using 至 (zhì) for “to”.
Example 8:
我们必须在营业时间结束前把包裹寄出去。
Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū zài yíngyè shíjiān jiéshù qián bǎ bāoguǒ jì chūqù.
English: We must mail the package before the business hours end.
Analysis: This example shows how to use the term as a time constraint.
Example 9:
这家便利店没有营业时间，因为它是二十四小时营业的。
Pinyin: Zhè jiā biànlìdiàn méiyǒu yíngyè shíjiān, yīnwèi tā shì èrshísì xiǎoshí yíngyè de.
English: This convenience store doesn't have “business hours” because it's open 24 hours.
Analysis: A useful sentence that contrasts fixed hours with 24/7 operation.
Example 10:
由于天气原因，今天的营业时间有所调整。
Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, jīntiān de yíngyè shíjiān yǒusuǒ tiáozhěng.
English: Due to the weather, today's business hours have been adjusted.
Analysis: A formal announcement-style sentence you might see posted by a business.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
The most common point of confusion for learners is distinguishing between 营业时间 (yíngyè shíjiān) and 上班时间 (shàngbān shíjiān).
营业时间 (yíngyè shíjiān): Customer-facing hours. This is when the business is OPEN to the public. (e.g., A store's 营业时间 is 10am-9pm).
上班时间 (shàngbān shíjiān): Employee work hours. This is when the staff is required to be at work. (e.g., An employee's 上班时间 might be 9:30am-9:30pm to prepare for opening and closing).
Common Mistake Example:
Incorrect: 我想知道你的营业时间。 (Wǒ xiǎng zhīdào nǐ de yíngyè shíjiān.) - Trying to ask a person, “What are your work hours?”
Why it's wrong: This sounds like you are asking when the *person* is open for business, as if they were a shop. It's awkward and incorrect.
Correct: 我想知道你的上班时间。 (Wǒ xiǎng zhīdào nǐ de shàngbān shíjiān.) - “I want to know your work hours.”
Remember: If you're a customer, you care about 营业时间. If you're an employee or talking about an employee's schedule, you use 上班时间.
开门 (kāimén) - Literally “to open the door.” Used informally to mean a business is opening for the day.
关门 (guānmén) - Literally “to close the door.” Used to mean a business is closing for the day or going out of business.
上班时间 (shàngbān shíjiān) - “Work hours.” The time employees are on the clock. A crucial distinction from 营业时间.
下班时间 (xiàbān shíjiān) - “Off-duty hours.” The time when employees finish work.
午休 (wǔxiū) - Midday nap or lunch break, during which many smaller businesses close.
节假日 (jiéjiàrì) - Public holidays. Business hours are often different during these times.
二十四小时 (èrshísì xiǎoshí) - 24 hours. Often used to describe convenience stores or restaurants that never close.
正常营业 (zhèngcháng yíngyè) - “Normal business operations” or “open as usual.” You'll see this sign after a holiday or renovation.
暂停营业 (zàntíng yíngyè) - “Business suspended” or “temporarily closed.” Seen during renovations, holidays, or emergencies.
工作日 (gōngzuòrì) - Workday or business day (typically Monday to Friday).