zhōngwǔ wǒ yìbān zài gōngsī chī wǔfàn.

At noon I usually eat lunch at the company.

Breakdown of zhōngwǔ wǒ yìbān zài gōngsī chī wǔfàn.

• 我wǒ: I
• 吃chī: to eat
• 在zài: at
• 公司gōngsī: company
• 中午zhōngwǔ: noon
• 一般yībān: usually
• 午饭wǔfàn: lunch

Questions & Answers about zhōngwǔ wǒ yìbān zài gōngsī chī wǔfàn.

Why is the time word at the beginning? Can I move it?

Chinese often puts time expressions at the start as the topic. All of these are natural, with slight differences in emphasis:

• 中午，我一般在公司吃午饭。
• 我中午一般在公司吃午饭。
• 我一般中午在公司吃午饭。 Putting the time first highlights “as for noon.” None of these changes the core meaning.

Where should I put the adverb 一般? Is 我在公司一般吃午饭 okay?

Frequency/“habit” adverbs like 一般/经常/常常/通常 usually go right after the subject and before the rest of the predicate:

• 我一般在公司吃午饭。(best)
• 我经常在公司吃午饭。/ 我通常在公司吃午饭。
• 平时我在公司吃午饭。(here 平时 is a time phrase) “我在公司一般吃午饭” is possible but less natural; it sounds like you’re contrasting what you usually do specifically when at the company. Default to placing 一般 right after the subject.

What exactly is 一般 here? How is it different from 经常/常常/通常/平时?

• 一般 here means “normally/under normal circumstances,” close to “usually.” It can also mean “average/so-so” as an adjective (这个菜很一般).
• 经常/常常 = “often,” frequency-oriented.
• 通常 = “typically/as a rule,” more formal.
• 平时 = “in normal times,” behaves like a time word. All work in this sentence with small nuance differences.

What does 在 do here? Why not put it after the verb?

在 introduces the location of an action: 在 + place + Verb (+ Object). So “在公司吃午饭” = “eat lunch at the company.” You generally don’t say “吃午饭在公司”; the location phrase normally comes before the verb in Chinese.

Is 在 the same “zài” that marks the progressive (be doing)? How would I say “I’m eating lunch at the office (right now)”?

Yes, but it’s a different function.

• In your sentence, 在公司 marks location.
• For the progressive, put 在/正在/正 before the verb: 我在公司正在吃午饭。/ 我在公司在吃午饭。(the latter is grammatical but sounds clunky because of two 在; 正在 is smoother)

公司 vs 办公室 vs 公司里 — what’s the difference?

• 公司 = the company/workplace in general. 在公司 ≈ “at work/at the company premises.”
• 办公室 = the office room. 在办公室 is more specific: “in the office (room).”
• 公司里 adds an “inside” sense. Both 在公司 and 在公司里 are fine; 里 is optional and slightly more spatial.

午饭 vs 午餐 vs 中饭 vs 中餐 — which should I use?

• 午饭 and 午餐 both mean lunch; 午餐 sounds a bit more formal and is very common in Taiwan and in writing.
• 中饭 also means lunch in some Mainland regions.
• 中餐 can mean lunch in context, but it also means “Chinese cuisine,” so it’s ambiguous. If you want to be safe and clear, use 午饭/午餐.

Is it redundant to have both 中午 and 午饭?

No. 中午 sets the time of day; 午饭 names the meal. You can drop one:

• 中午我一般在公司吃饭。(less specific; just “eat” at noon)
• 我一般在公司吃午饭。(still implies around noon) Having both is natural and clear.

Do I need 了 in this sentence?

No. This sentence describes a habitual action, and you normally don’t use 了 for habits. Use 了 for a specific completed event:

• 我今天中午在公司吃了午饭。(today’s lunch, completed)

Do I need a measure word for meals here (like 顿)?

Not in this sentence. You only use 顿 when you count/quantify meals:

• 我吃了一顿午饭。/ 我们请他吃了一顿饭。 Here, you’re just describing the action of eating lunch, so no measure word is needed.

Can I drop the subject 我?

Yes, if it’s clear from context:

• 中午一般在公司吃午饭。 Subject omission is common in conversation when the referent is obvious.

Can I just say 吃饭 instead of 吃午饭? Can I leave 吃 without an object?

• 吃饭 = “have a meal” (generic). “我一般在公司吃饭” is fine but less specific.
• 吃午饭 = “eat lunch,” more precise here.
• Bare 吃 with nothing after it is usually incomplete in this context.

How do I pronounce the sentence? Any tone-sandhi to watch for?

Pinyin with tones: zhōngwǔ wǒ yìbān zài gōngsī chī wǔfàn. Notes:

• 一般 is pronounced yìbān (4th + 1st) as a fixed word; don’t say yíbān.
• 午饭 is 3rd + 4th; the 3rd tone on 午 is pronounced as a low/half-3rd before another tone.
• 公司 gōngsī: sī is an “s,” not “sh.”

Is 里 required after 公司?

No. 在公司 is already fine for “at the company.” 在公司里 emphasizes “inside” a bit more, but both are natural in this sentence.

How do I turn this into a question?

• Yes–no: 你中午一般在公司吃午饭吗？
• Wh-question (where): 你中午一般在哪儿/哪里吃午饭？
• Frequency focus: 你中午经常在公司吃午饭吗？

Can I add 时候, like “at the time of noon”?

Yes: 中午的时候我一般在公司吃午饭。 Adding 的时候 makes the time phrase a bit heavier/more explicit, but the meaning is the same.

How do I negate this naturally? Where does 不 go? Also, does 不一般 mean “usually not”?

• To negate the location: 中午我一般不在公司吃午饭。(I usually don’t eat lunch at the company)
• To negate the action at that place: 中午我一般在公司不吃午饭。(When at the company at noon, I usually don’t eat lunch) Both are possible; pick based on what you want to emphasize. Note: 不一般 means “unusual/remarkable,” not “usually not.” For “usually not,” use 一般不
  • verb (e.g., 我一般不在公司吃午饭).