yesterday
adverb (yesterday); noun (yesterday — the day before today)
Everyday
- Yesterday means on the day before today. tree →
- Yesterday can mean the recent past in general: the toys of yesterday. tree →
- "The day before yesterday" means two days ago. tree →
In the lessons
In maths and time lessons, pupils work out days: if today is Tuesday, yesterday was Monday and tomorrow is Wednesday; calendar problems use «yesterday» and «the day before yesterday». In English grammar, «yesterday» signals the past tense: «I played yesterday», not «I play yesterday». In stories and diaries it tells the reader when events happened. Phrases: yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon, the day before yesterday, only yesterday.
Examples
- Yesterday it rained all day. tree →
- I played football with my friends yesterday afternoon. tree →
- If today is Friday, yesterday was Thursday. tree →
- The day before yesterday was my birthday. tree →
- I didn't do my homework yesterday, so I'm doing it now. tree →
- It feels like only yesterday that we started school. tree →
- Yesterday's newspaper is on the table. tree →
- I was only made day before yesterday. tree →
Note
Use a past tense with yesterday: «I went yesterday», not «I go yesterday». Say «yesterday morning», not «yesterday in the morning» or «last morning». But: «last night», not «yesterday night» (though people understand it). Maths: yesterday is today minus one day; the day before yesterday is minus two.
In Jewish tradition
Interpretation: Pharaoh's taskmasters demand the same bricks "yesterday and today", showing the cruelty of slavery in Egypt, which Jews remember each Passover. In Job and Psalms "yesterday" stands for how short life is, and in Psalm 90 a thousand years are like yesterday to God. In Kings it means the day before, when Naboth was killed. In the primary lessons: In maths and time lessons, pupils work out days: if today is Tuesday, yesterday was Monday and tomorrow is Wednesday; calendar problems use «yesterday» and «the day before yesterday». In English grammar, «yesterday» signals the past tense: «I played yesterday», not «I play yesterday». In stories and diaries it tells the reader when events happened. Phrases: yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon, the day before yesterday, only yesterday.
Examples
- And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying: 'Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your appointed task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore?' (Torah EXO.5.14, JPS 1917) tree →
- For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow — (Writings JOB.8.9, JPS 1917) tree →
- For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. (Writings PSA.90.4, JPS 1917) tree →
- Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plot, saith the LORD. (Prophets 2KI.9.26, JPS 1917) tree →
Note
Use a past tense with yesterday: «I went yesterday», not «I go yesterday». Say «yesterday morning», not «yesterday in the morning» or «last morning». But: «last night», not «yesterday night» (though people understand it). Maths: yesterday is today minus one day; the day before yesterday is minus two.
On Mova
- Trees and pragmatics of «yesterday» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «yesterday» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
- Trees and pragmatics of «yesterday» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- «yesterday» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.
This page in Markdown → https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/yesterday/