In the previous lesson, you have learned about the number in Chinese. Today, let’s learn how to tell the time in Chinese!
Here are some important time-related terms you need to be familiar beforehand.
The complete time format in Chinese is:
number + 點 + number + 分 + number + 秒
number + 点 + number + 分 + number + 秒
number + diǎn + number + fēn + number + miǎo
number + o’clock + number + minutes + number + seconds
The following are the guidelines for the pronunciation. Notice the pattern – they are easy to remember!
Of course, you can omit the part you do not need in telling the time. Like in normal asking-telling time conversation, we will only use the o’clock and minutes. On the other hand, under some circumstances that require the precise time, you do have to include the seconds. Examples:
兩點。
两点。
Liǎng diǎn.
Two o’clock.
十二點。
十二点。
Shí’èr diǎn.
Twelve o’clock.
五點二十(分)。
五点二十(分)。
Wǔ diǎn èrshí (fēn).
05:20.
八點四十五(分)。
八点四十五(分)。
Bā diǎn sì shí wǔ (fēn).
08:45.
三點七分十秒。
三点七分十秒。
Sān diǎn qī fēn shí miǎo.
03:07:10.
九點三十六分五十九秒。
九点三十六分五十九秒。
Jiǔ diǎn sānshíliù fēn wǔshíjiǔ miǎo.
09:36:59.
Have you noticed that we use 兩 [两] (liǎng) instead of 二 (èr) to express time?
You can leave out the word for the minute: 分 (fēn) when speaking.
Sometimes, you might hear the word 鐘 [种] (zhōng) behind the o’clock, minutes, or seconds. It is completely normal though!
In fact, Chinese tend to use digital time format (e.g. 08:55 is pronounced as eight fifty-five instead of five to nine). There is a word for quarter: 刻 (kè), but it can be only use for ‘quarter past’. The term ‘quarter to’ as in English is not available here. Don’t worry, we still use the half: 半 (bàn) to indicate 30 minutes! Examples:
七點一刻。
七点一刻。
Qī diǎn yī kè.
A quarter past seven (07:15).
一點半。
一点半。
Yīdiǎn bàn.
Half past one (01:30).
差 (chà) is similar to English less/to, which is used to indicate ‘several minutes’ to reach the next hour. The opposite of less, ‘past’ is not available in Chinese time dictionary too. Thus:
差五分十點。
差五分十点。
Chà wǔ fēn shí diǎn.
Five to ten (09:55).
差一分六點。
差一分六点。
Chà yī fēn liù diǎn.
One to six (05:59).
整 (zhěng) is used to express ‘the exact time’ in Chinese. Therefore:
四點整。
四点整。
Sì diǎn zhěng.
Four o’clock sharp (exactly 4:00).
You read it correctly. There is no specific term for indicating a.m. and p.m. in Chinese. In order to distinguish which time of the day, we use time-frame of the day: 早上 (zǎo shang), 中午 (zhōng wǔ), 下午 (xià wǔ), 晚上 (wǎn shàng), 半夜 (bàn yè), 凌晨 (líng chén). Thus:
早上八點。
早上八点。
Zǎo shang bā diǎn.
8 a.m.
中午十二點。
中午十二点。
Zhōng wǔ shí’èr diǎn.
12 p.m.
下午兩點。
下午两点。
Xià wǔ liǎng diǎn.
2 p.m.
晚上六點。
晚上六点。
Wǎn shàng liù diǎn.
6 p.m.
半夜十二點。
半夜十二点。
Bàn yè shí’èr diǎn.
12 a.m.
凌晨一點。
凌晨一点。
Líng chén yīdiǎn.
1 a.m.
There are countless ways to ask time in Chinese. The most common one is:
現在幾點？
现在几点？
Xiànzài jīdiǎn?
What time is it now?
When you are talking to someone you are close to, you can use:
幾點了？
几点了？
Jīdiǎn le?
What time is it?
Next time when someone asks you the time in Chinese, try to answer the time in Chinese as well! Let’s practice now!
昨天你幾點回家？
昨天你几点回家？
Zuó tiān nǐ jǐ diǎn huí jiā?
What time did you go home yesterday?
明天我們幾點出發？
明天我们几点出发？
Míng tiān wǒmen jǐ diǎn chū fā?
What time will we leave tomorrow?
你每天幾點睡覺？
你每天几点睡觉？
Nǐ měi tiān jǐ diǎn shuì jiào?
What time do you go to sleep every day?
Let’s learn Chinese today. Join us at LingoCards!
