中午
zhōng wǔ
noon
midday; CL:個|个[ge4]
middle (中) + midday branch (午) = noon
中 marks the middle point of the day, and 午 originally referred to the seventh earthly branch, the two-hour window straddling midday. Together they pin down that central moment when the sun is directly overhead.
中午我们一起去吃饭吧。
zhōng wǔ wǒ men yī qǐ qù chī fàn ba。
Let's go eat together at noon.
他中午只睡了半个小时就回去工作了。
tā zhōng wǔ zhǐ shuì le bàn gè xiǎo shí jiù huí qù gōng zuò le。
He slept for only half an hour at midday and then went back to work.