你哪里不舒服？
nǐ nǎlǐ bù shūfu?
What hurts you?
How to say 'take three times daily' in Chinese
一天三次。
yì tiān sān cì
Take three times daily
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
一天 (yì tiān) means 'one day', 三 (sān) means 'three', and 次 (cì) is a measure word for times. The phrase literally means 'one day three times' and is understood as 'take three times a day' in context.
Variations and politeness
每天三次
měi tiān sān cì
Three times every day — More conversational, emphasizes 'every day'.
一天吃三次
yī tiān chī sān cì
Eat three times a day — Specifies the action (to eat), more concrete.
Mini dialogue
A
我应该一天三次吃药吗？
Wǒ yīnggāi yī tiān sān cì chī yào ma?
Should I take the medicine three times a day?
B
是的，医生建议你这样做。
Shì de, yīshēng jiànyì nǐ zhèyàng zuò.
Yes, the doctor recommends you do that.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When giving or receiving dosage instructions for medication.
- When asking a doctor or pharmacist how often to take medicine.
- When reading a medicine label that specifies frequency.
Avoid when
- When talking about eating meals three times a day; use 一天吃三顿饭 instead.
- When specifying a duration of three days; 一天三次 means frequency, not length.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'three times a day' in Chinese?
You say '一天三次' (yì tiān sān cì). It literally means 'one day three times' and is used for dosage instructions.
How do you pronounce '一天三次'?
It is pronounced 'yì tiān sān cì'. Note that 一 changes to the fourth tone yì before the first tone tiān.
When do you use '一天三次'?
Use it when talking about how often to take medicine or do something three times daily. It's common in medical contexts.
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