how to say what is this in chinese

April 07, 2022 Post a Comment

Telling Fourth dimension in Chinese – The Consummate Guide for Beginners

Time plays a fundamental role in our everyday life. Whether yous want to schedule meetings, make travel plans, meet upward with your friends, or simply want to share your story, knowing how to tell the time in Chinese can make a globe of difference.

The Chinese time system is easy and straightforward – once yous have known your way around numbers, you only need to acquire a few more vocabulary words to be able to tell the time in Chinese. But meanwhile, there are some crucial differences between how time is expressed in Chinese and other languages that you demand to take note of.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll give yous a complete insight into how time expressions work in Mandarin Chinese. Yous'll acquire how to say the fourth dimension in both formal and breezy styles, how to enquire basic time-related questions, and employ the time to talk virtually your past, nowadays, and future life like a true native!

Okay, time to learn the time in Chinese!

How to Tell the Time in Mandarin Chinese – An Overview

Time in Chinese is 时间 (shíjiān). Before we get started on learning how to tell the time in Mandarin, let's look at a couple of things you demand to be aware of when learning this aspect of the Chinese linguistic communication.

Chinese Time Vocabulary : The Words Y'all Need to Know

Cathay predominantly uses a 12-hour fourth dimension system. This means words like "forenoon", "afternoon" or "evening" are frequently used with the time itself in daily fourth dimension expressions. To tell the time in Chinese, you accept to non only be able to pronounce the hours and minutes correctly but besides know the basics of Chinese time vocabulary.

Then, hither's the list of primal Chinese fourth dimension vocabulary words to requite you lot a foundation. They come up forth with pronunciations and English translations.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
点	diǎn	o'clock
分	fēn	minute (on the clock)
半	bàn	one-half
刻	kè	quarter
现在	xiànzài	now
早上	zǎoshang	(early) morning
上午	shàngwǔ	(belatedly) forenoon
中午	zhōngwǔ	midday
下午	xiàwǔ	afternoon
晚上	wǎnshang	evening/nighttime

Some of these words have other meanings in Chinese (like how 点 diǎn likewise means "dot" and "to social club"). So, call up these are only their definitions as they relate to time.

Chinese Numbers for Telling the Fourth dimension

Y'all'll also demand to know the Chinese numbers before trying to tell numerical time.

If you are not familiar with the Chinese number system yet, you might want to check out ourfull tutorial on how to read numbers in Chinese first to help you get started. To put it but, Chinese numbers are all about compounding and adding the basic numbers 1 to x – from 11 to 19, it's ten plus the other number (e.1000. 12 is "ten – two"), and from 20 onwards, you count the tens commencement then do the calculation (e.g. 25 is "ii ten – five").

Here is a quick reminder of useful numbers to help you to tell the time in Chinese.

Number	Character	Pinyin
0	零	líng
ane	一	yī
2	二/两	èr/liǎng
three	三	sān
4	四	sì
5	五	wǔ
6	六	liù
7	七	qī
8	八	bā
9	九	jiǔ
10	十	shí
11	十一	shí yī
12	十二	shí èr

The number "2" has 2 translations in Chinese: 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng). Basically, you can apply them interchangeably when expressing the hours (e.g, 2:04), but when it comes to expressing the minutes (e.g, 4:02), simply 二 (èr) can be used. You volition meet many examples of these in the next section, so don't stress if y'all don't become information technology notwithstanding!

Formula for Telling the Time in Chinese

When you lot say the time in English language, you beginning with "it's". For instance, "It'due south x past nine".

However, when yous say the time in Chinese, yous'll follow a unlike formula:

现在是 + time
Xiànzài shì + time
Literally, "Now is … (fourth dimension)"

When someone asks you the time in Chinese, you ' ll reply with 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) – " At present is " , followed past the time. (And when you ask the time in Chinese, instead of asking "what fourth dimension is it", you enquire "what fourth dimension is at present" – nosotros'll come dorsum to this later).

The verb "is" – 是 (shì) in 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) is totally optional and often omitted in spoken Chinese. It's fine to start with just 现在 (Xiànzài) followed directly by the fourth dimension (larn more than about topic-annotate construction ). In many of our examples, you'll find 是 (shì) in parentheses.

All correct, with that said, y'all are at present officially ready to tell the time in Chinese!

Saying What Time It Is in Chinese

Let'due south start by breaking downward how to tell the numerical time on the Chinese clock.

On the Hour

To say a fourth dimension on the hour in Chinese (like two o'clock or six o'clock), say the number respective to the hour first, then add the word 点 (diǎn) – " o ' clock " to it.

Format: number of the hour + 点 (diǎn)

You lot see, it's exactly the same structure equally English, which is really simple and easy to remember.

In most contexts, it is acceptable to simply say the fourth dimension when you are asked "what time is information technology" in Chinese, just if you want to give a complete reply, you can start past proverb 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) or 现在 (Xiànzài) before the time. Here'due south how that would look in practice:

现在(是)一点 – It'southward one o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì ) yī diǎn

现在(是)两点 – It's 2 o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn

现在(是)三点 – Information technology'due south three o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) sān diǎn

现在(是)四点 – It's 4 o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn

现在(是)五点 – It'south 5 o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) wǔ diǎn

现在(是)六点 – It'due south six o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) liù diǎn

现在(是)七点 – It's seven o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) qī diǎn

现在(是)八点 – It's eight o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn

现在(是)九点 – It's nine o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) jiǔ diǎn

现在(是)十点 – It'south ten o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn

现在(是)十一点 – It's 11 o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) shí yī diǎn

现在(是)十二点 – It's twelve o'clock.
Xiànzài (shì) shí èr diǎn

Notation that dissimilar in English where nosotros often leave out the word "o'clock" (for instance, nosotros tin say "it's almost five" or "it's six already), in Chinese, the give-and-take 点 (diǎn) is ever needed after the number of the hour. (Sometimes people apply 点钟 diǎnzhōng – the longer form of 点 diǎn – after the number to audio more casual, but you lot're fine using just 点 diǎn)

Compare the two expressions below.

十二点(钟)
shí èr diǎn diǎn (zhōng)
twelve o'clock

十二
shí èr
numeral "12" (having null to do with time)

Also, for maxim "ii o'clock", although the official grammer rule is that you're supposed to read the "2" on the hr equally 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr), many Chinese people speak it otherwise (I, for 1, say 二点 èr diǎn most of the time).

If you don't desire to get this muddled up, stick with the officially favored version – 两点 (liǎng diǎn) – it'southward slightly more common in colloquial Chinese. Just know that yous will often hear the other version from native speakers, and you'll be fine saying 二点 (èr diǎn) in real life. (For more information on when to use 二 èr and 两 liǎng, see our article on er vs liang)

Half Hours (One-half past…)

At present, the time is non always on the hour. Chinese time allows you to circular up to the half hour and quarter hr like you're used to in English (when it's 28 minutes past, you tin can say information technology's one-half past as you ordinarily would). So how do y'all say "one-half by… ", "quarter past…" and "quarter to" in Chinese?

Well, the Chinese versions are actually simpler than English language. Let'southward start with half hours.

To say one-half by the 60 minutes in Chinese, use the discussion 半 ( bàn) – meaning " one-half " – subsequently the time on the hour.

Format: number of the hour + 点 (diǎn) + 半 (bàn)

For example,

现在(是)三点半 – It's half past iii.
Xiànzài (shì) sān diǎn bàn

现在(是)六点半 – Information technology's half past 6.
Xiànzài (shì) liù diǎn bàn

现在(是)十一点半 – It'southward half past xi.
Xiànzài (shì) shí yī diǎn bàn

You run into, instead of "half past iii", "half past six", "half past eleven", in Chinese, they are expressed as "iii o'clock half", "half dozen o'clock one-half", "eleven o'clock half", respectively. Annotation that the give-and-take 点 (diǎn) must always be said after the number of the hour.

You can also express the one-half hour in "digital format" like you would exercise in English, for instance, "11-thirty" rather than "half past xi". You'll learn how to indicate the minutes in Chinese in the side by side department, don't worry.

Quarter Hours (Quarter past/to…)

Expressing the quarter hours in Chinese is a lot similar expressing the half hours – you lot say the "on the hour" phrase first, and so swap out the word "half" with "a quarter" or "three quarters".

Let's accept a wait.

Quarter past

To say a quarter past the 60 minutes in Chinese, apply the phrase 一刻 ( yí kè ) – pregnant " a quarter " – after the time on the 60 minutes.

Format: number of the hr + 点 (diǎn) + 一刻 (yí kè)

For example,

现在(是)两点一刻 – It's a quarter by two.
Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn yí kè

现在(是)四点一刻 – It'southward a quarter past 4.
Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn yí kè

现在(是)七点一刻 – It'southward a quarter by seven.
Xiànzài (shì) qī diǎn yí kè

Quarter to

"Quarter to" is expressed slightly differently in Chinese. Although we can add a phrase similar to its English language counterpart – 差一刻 (chà yí kè) – meaning "short of a quarter" after the hr to come up to express "a quarter to that hour", for instance

三点差一刻
sān diǎn chà yí kè
a quarter to iii
Literally, "three o'clock short of a quarter"

… this is, however, not the most natural way to express "quarter to" in Chinese.

A much more common way of proverb a quarter to the hr in Chinese is to say " three quarters by the hour " . That is, you employ the phrase 三刻 ( yí kè ) – " three quarters " – after the time on the hour yous ' re currently in.

Format: number of the electric current hour + 点 (diǎn) + 三刻 (sān kè)

Hither are some examples.

现在(是)两点三刻 – It's a quarter to iii. (two o'clock iii quarters)
Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn sān kè

现在(是)四点三刻 – It'south a quarter to five. (four o'clock three quarters)
Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn sān kè

现在(是)七点三刻 – Information technology's a quarter to eight. (seven o'clock iii quarters)
Xiànzài (shì) qī diǎn sān kè

Chinese people adopt to say "three quarters past the current 60 minutes" rather than "a quarter to the upcoming hour".

The reason? It sounds more curtailed. (Compare "两点三刻 liǎng diǎn sān kè" and "三点差一刻 sān diǎn chà yí kè") Why would you use more words to convey the same data when you can cut it short?

Remember as well that quarter hours come after the word 点 (diǎn), just like hours and one-half hours.

The Exact Fourth dimension (Hour + Minutes)

Wanna be a niggling more specific? Here's how Chinese time works when y'all need to tell the precise time, down to the minute.

The structure of hr + minutes in Chinese is quite simple – you say the time on the hr first, then say the number respective to the infinitesimal.

Format: number of the hour + 点 (diǎn) + number of the minute

Every bit always, you tin can starting time by maxim 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) or 现在 (Xiànzài) before the time. For case, if you want to say that its five:21, you'll say:

现在(是)五点二十一
Xiànzài (shì) wǔ diǎn èr shí yī
Literally, "Now (is) five o'clock 20-one"

Thus, the same as in English, there are two ways that you can utilise to indicate half hours and quarter hours in Chinese.

If it's eight:fifteen, you can say

现在(是)八点一刻 – Information technology'southward a quarter past eight. (viii o'clock a quarter)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn yí kè

现在(是)八点十五 – It'due south eight fifteen. (eight o'clock fifteen)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn shí wǔ

If it'due south 8:30, yous can say

现在(是)八点半 – It's half by eight. (eight o'clock half)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn bàn

现在(是)八点三十 – It's 8 thirty. (eight o'clock thirty)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn sān shí

If information technology's 8:45, you can say

现在(是)八点三刻 – It's a quarter to nine. (eight o'clock three quarters)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn sān kè

现在(是)八点四十五 – It's 8 forty-v. (8 o'clock forty-five)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn sì shí wǔ

Pretty piece of cake, isn't information technology?

There's just one matter you need to note: the minutes on the clock are expressed slightly differently when they are less than ten.

Allow me elaborate.

Minutes Greater Than x

When the minutes are greater than x or precisely 10 on the clock, you just need to read out the number representing the minute like you usually do.For case,

ten:fifty
十点五十
shí diǎn wǔ shí

Minutes Less Than 10

When the minutes are under ten on the clock, you need to read out the " zero " – 零 (líng) before the number corresponding to the minute.

For instance, x:05

You'll read it as 十点零五 (shí diǎn líng wǔ) – literally "10 o'clock zero five". People will not empathise you lot if you driblet the 零 (líng) hither.

The zero in Chinese can be used to link two number units, similar to the way nosotros apply "and" in English language. For example, instead of proverb "one year and three days", Chinese people say 一年零三天 (yì nián líng sān tiān), literally "one yr nothing iii days". (Read more almost nada in Chinese ).

Y'all can also put the word 分 (fēn) – meaning "minute" after any "hr + minutes" structure. This is totally optional and typically used in formal contexts (such equally news reports).

So, if it'south 10:50, you can either say

现在(是)十点五十 (more common in spoken Chinese)
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn wǔ shí

现在(是)十点五十分
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn wǔ shí fēn

And if it'southward x:05, you can say

现在(是)十点零五 (more common in spoken Chinese)
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn líng wǔ

现在(是)十点零五分
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn líng wǔ fēn

Saying the Time of the 24-hour interval in Chinese: Morning, Afternoon, or Evening?

China, like the United States, uses the 12-hour clock. And so you can use 五点 ("five o'clock") to refer to the fourth dimension of morning time and afternoon. To clarify whether it's five in the morning or v in the afternoon, you'll need to use some actress time words.

In Chinese, there is no a.g. or p.1000. Instead, you lot add either 早上 (zǎoshang) – "early morning", 上午 (shàngwǔ) – "tardily morning", 中午 (zhōngwǔ) – "midday", 下午 (xiàwǔ) – "afternoon", or 晚上 (wǎnshang) – "evening/night", before the time on the 12-hour clock to distinguish the time of the day.

Let'due south take a await at what time range each of these words represents and how to combine them with the concrete time in Chinese.

早上 ( zǎo sh a ng ): (Early on) Forenoon

早上 (zǎoshang) refers to the sun-ascent hours. It'south roughly the fourth dimension from dawn to around 9:00 a.yard. (At that place are no exact boundaries between these time concepts)

7:00 a.m.
早上七点半
zǎoshang qī diǎn bàn
Literally, "(early) morning seven o'clock one-half"

上午 ( shàng wǔ ): (Late) Morning

上午 (shàngwǔ) literally means "above apex" (call back of the 24-hour interval as a timetable). Information technology can be from 9:00 a.m. to around 11:00 a.thou.

x:25 a.m.
上午十点二十五
Shàngwǔ shí diǎn èr shí wǔ
Literally: "(tardily) morning ten o'clock xx-5"

中午 ( zhōng wǔ ): Midday

中午 (zhōngwǔ) is translated as midday, just it'south pretty much the same thing every bit noon in Chinese, since the noon is in the middle of the day. 中午 (zhōngwǔ) can be anytime between 11:00 a.m and i:00 p.k – once more, roughly.

12:01 p.yard.
中午十二点零一
Zhōngwǔ shí èr diǎn líng yī
Literally, "midday twelve o'clock zippo one"

下午 ( xiàwǔ): Afternoon

下午 (xiàwǔ) means "nether noon" in Chinese. It'south typically from ane:00 p.m. to around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m when the sunday starts to go down.

4:58 p.m.
下午四点五十八
Xiàwǔ sì diǎn wǔ shí bā
Literally, "afternoon four o'clock 50-eight"

晚上 ( wǎn sh a ng ): Evening/Night

The graphic symbol 晚 (wǎn) is formed by 日 (rì) – "dominicus", and 免 (miǎn) – "free of", so 晚上 (wǎnshang) refers to the hours without the dominicus or sunlight (sunset to dawn).

Speaking by definition, 晚上 (wǎnshang) can be evening and dark at the same time, though some people would use 晚上 (wǎnshang) to talk about the time between 6ish to around xi:00 p.m., and other words such equally 深夜 (shēnyè) – "late night", 半夜 (bànyè) – "midnight" and 凌晨 (língchén) – "before dawn" for other fourth dimension of the night to exist more precise.

viii:45 p.m.
晚上八点三刻
Wǎnshang bā diǎn sān kè
Literally, "evening eight o'clock three quarters"

Take note that unlike English where y'all put time words similar a.m., p.1000., in the morning, in the afternoon, etc at the end of the time, when y'all tell the fourth dimension in Chinese and want to be precise, you lot apply the time words before the fourth dimension on the 12-hour clock (not after!) following the " broad to specific " rule.

Here'south the format.

Time Words + Time on the Clock

So in Chinese, instead of maxim v o'clock in the morning, you lot say morn 5 o'clock.

√ 早上五点 (zǎoshang wǔ diǎn)
× 五点早上 (wǔ diǎn zǎoshang)

Communist china, of roughly similar size to the U.s., has only one time zone: Beijing Standard Time. This means words like 上午 (shàngwǔ) or 下午 (xiàwǔ) are versatile depending on which region of China people live. For case, when it's apex in the capital, the sunday merely starts to ascension 3,000 miles farther west, in Kashgar, Xinjiang. And then don't exist surprised when y'all hear locals at that place say 早上十二点 (zǎoshang shí èr diǎn)- "early on morning twelve o'clock" as opposed to 中午十二点 (zhōngwǔ shí èr diǎn) – midday twelve o'clock".

You can also use the fourth dimension words independently when the exact time is not very important and y'all just desire to talk well-nigh the general fourth dimension of the solar day.

Here are some examples,

早上很冷。
Zǎoshang hěn lěng.
Information technology's very cold in the (early) morning.
Literally: "(Early) morning very cold."

上午我有一个会。
Shàngwǔ wǒ yǒu yí gè huì.
I take a meeting in the (tardily) morning.
Literally, "(Late) forenoon I have a meeting."

中午你吃什么？
Zhōngwǔ nǐ chī shénme?
What do you eat for midday (luncheon)?
Literally, "Midday you consume what?"

下午我在家。
Xiàwǔ wǒ zài jiā.
I am at home in the afternoon.
Literally, "Afternoon I am at home."

晚上我睡八小时。
Wǎnshang wǒ shuì bā xiǎoshí.
I sleep eight hours at night.
Literally, "Dark I slumber viii hours."

Not sure how word order works in a Chinese sentence? Read our bones Chinese grammar guide for beginners.

Telling the Time on 24-60 minutes Clock

Though the norm in daily Chinese is to use the 12-60 minutes clock, you may still find the 24-hour clock used for news reports, documents, timetables, tv set or film listings, or hours that a shop is open.

In Chinese, you pronounce this the same way every bit the 12-hr clock system.

15:00
十五点
shí wǔ diǎn
Literally: "fifteen o'clock"

eighteen:42
十八点四十二
shí bā diǎn sì shí èr
Literally: "xviii o'clock 40-two"

Go on in listen this isn't the military time you may have learned in English. You don't say "fifteen-hundred hours" in Chinese. It'south still the number 1-24 followed by 点 (diǎn).

How to Ask the Time in Chinese

Now that you know how to say the time, let's acquire how to properly ask the time in Chinese too. This will come in handy when your telephone is out of juice!

There are two common ways you lot can ask for the time in Chinese.

1. 现在几点？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?)

This is the standard expression you tin use if you want to know what fourth dimension information technology is on the clock.

The word 几 (jǐ) is the question discussion for numbers. So this question literally means "At present (is) what number o'clock?". Ask this question and people will respond with one of the expressions we've learned in the previous sections, like

现在四点半。
Xiànzài sì diǎn bàn.
It's one-half past 4.
Literally, "Now (is) four o'clock half."

Or simply just the time,

四点半。
Sì diǎn bàn.
Half past four.
Literally, "4 o'clock half."

ii. 现在几点钟？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng?)

Another way to ask what time it is in Chinese is to use the longer course of the previous question – 现在几点钟？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng?)

Opposite to what you might think, the full grade of 点 (diǎn) – 点钟 (diǎnzhōng) actually makes the question more than coincidental, not formal. Feel free to utilize it in general conversation with your friends.

Now, if you lot stop a random person on the street to ask them what time it is, you could add together the phrase – 请问 (qǐng wèn), meaning "may I ask…" at the get-go of your question to sound polite.

请问, 现在几点(钟)？
Qǐng wèn, xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng?
Excuse me, what time is information technology?
Literally, "May I ask, at present (is) what number o'clock?"

Important: Fifty-fifty though the phrase 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) means "what time", you never use information technology to ask what the fourth dimension is in Chinese – 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) works more like the question word "when" in English.

Saying & Request at What Time Things Happen

All correct, now that you accept a agglomeration of time-telling expressions at your disposal, you're fix to utilize them to talk well-nigh your daily routines and plans.

Describing Daily Routines

To describe what yous practise during the day and at what time, just mention the fourth dimension earlier your action.

我早上七点起床。
Wǒ zǎoshang qī diǎn qǐchuáng.
I go up at 7:00 a.m.
Literally, "I morning vii o'clock become upward."

我中午十二点半吃午饭。
Wǒzhōngwǔ shí èr diǎn bàn chī wǔfàn.
I have lunch at 12:thirty pm.
Literally, "I midday twelve o'clock half eat lunch."

我下午五点三刻下班。
Wǒ xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn sān kè xià bān.
I go off from work at v:45 p.m.
Literally, "I afternoon five o'clock three quarters become off work."

我晚上十一点睡觉。
Wǒ wǎnshang shí yī diǎn shuìjiào.
I go to bed at xi:00 p.thousand.
Literally, "I evening eleven o'clock slumber."

Before we motion on, in that location are two things you demand to exist aware of when y'all include time in a sentence.

i. Unlike in English language, the position of time phrase is rather fixed in a Chinese judgement – information technology must be placed earlier the verb. Therefore, you can't say "get up in the morning time" or "go up at seven o'clock" in Chinese, instead, y'all say "(in the) morning become up", "(at) seven o'clock become up". Read more than nearly basic Chinese word order.

2. Phrases like "in the morning", "at vii o'clock", etc can't be translated verbatim in Chinese. Though you lot could be tempted to add 在 (zài) – the word for "in" or "at" – before the time give-and-take, don't practice it. The but correct way to talk about something happening at a specific fourth dimension in Chinese is by saying the time on its own.

Making Plans for the Future

If y'all're having a conversation with friends and making plans for the time to come, like meeting for java the next 24-hour interval, you can utilise the phrase 好吗? (hǎo ma?) at the finish to suggest it. For instance,

我们明天下午一点见，好吗？
Wǒmen míngtiān xiàwǔ yī diǎnjiàn, hǎo ma?
Shall nosotros meet at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow?
Literally, "We tomorrow afternoon 1 o'clock meet, okay?"

我们上午十一点开始，好吗？
Wǒmenshàngwǔ shí yī diǎn kāishǐ, hǎo ma?
Shall nosotros begin at xi:00 a.m.?
Literally, "Nosotros (tardily) morning eleven o'clock brainstorm, okay?"

我们两点一刻出发，好吗？
Wǒmen liǎng diǎn yī kè chūfā, hǎo ma?
Shall nosotros exit at a quarter past two?
Literally, "We 2 o'clock a quarter depart, okay?"

我们晚上八点半到，好吗？
Wǒmen wǎnshàng bā diǎn bàn dào, hǎo ma?
Is it okay for us to go far at 8:30 p.m.?
Literally, "We evening 8 o'clock one-half arrive, okay?"

People can then respond with whether that'southward okay (好 hǎo) or not (不好 bù hǎo), or if they'd like to propose a dissimilar fourth dimension.

Asking When Something Volition Happen

If you don't accept a time in mind, or simply want to know what fourth dimension you're going to encounter or when things will happen, apply the phrase 几点 (jǐ diǎn) – "what number clock" to ask for that information.

You don't need to change give-and-take order – simply replace the concrete fourth dimension in a believable answer with the question word 几点 (jǐ diǎn).

你几点起床？
Nǐjǐ diǎn qǐchuáng?
What fourth dimension exercise you get up?
Literally, "You what number o'clock get up?"

你几点下班？
Nǐjǐ diǎn xià bān?
What time do yous get off from piece of work?
Literally, "You what number o'clock go off work?"

我们明天几点见？
Wǒmen míngtiān jǐ diǎn jiàn?
When shall we run into tomorrow?
Literally, "We tomorrow what number o'clock meet?"

我们几点出发？
Wǒmen jǐ diǎn chūfā?
When shall we leave?
Literally, "We what number o'clock depart?"

At that place y'all become!

Other Useful Fourth dimension Expressions in Chinese

Wow, that's a lot of information, isn't it?

I would say the above should have given you lot a solid foundation to limited the correct fourth dimension, make plans with people and empathize some of People's republic of china'south time-related nuances.

But if you're in the mood for more, here'southward an additional listing of useful words and phrases yous can use when telling time in Chinese.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
…整	… zhěng	(…o'clock) sharp
刚才	gāngcái	simply at present
马上	mǎshàng	immediately
一会儿	yí huìr	soon
今天	jīntiān	today
明天	míngtiān	tomorrow
后天	hòutiān	the day after tomorrow
昨天	zuótiān	yesterday
前天	qiántiān	the day before yesterday
今天晚上	jīntiān wǎnshang	tonight
明天早上	míngtiān zǎoshang	tomorrow morning
昨天下午	zuótiān xiàwǔ	yesterday afternoon
白天	báitiān	during the day
大约…	dàyuē …	effectually…
…以前	… yǐqián	before…
…以后	… yǐhòu	after…
…的时候	… de shíhou	when… (statement)
早	zǎo	early
晚	wǎn	late
小时	xiǎoshí	hour
分钟	fēnzhōng	minute (elapsing)
秒	miǎo	second

Exercise on Telling the Time in Chinese

Remember you lot've got it? Test yourself on telling the time in Chinese with these translation exercises.

8:05 a.m.
ii:xv p.g.
4:45 p.yard.
18:58
What time is it?
It's 12:00 p.m. (noon)
Information technology's 12:00 a.k. (midnight)
What time shall nosotros meet?
We'll come across at 7:30 tomorrow morning.
The coming together starts at 3:20 p.m.

Answers:

早上八点零五(分)
zǎoshang bā diǎn líng wǔ (fēn)
下午二点一刻; 下午两点一刻
xiàwǔ èr diǎn yí kè or xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn yí kè (more than vernacular)
下午四点三刻
xiàwǔ sì diǎn sān kè
十八点五十八
shí bā diǎn wǔ shí bā
现在几点(钟)？
Xiànzài jǐ diǎn (zhōng)?
现在(是)中午十二点。
Xiànzài (shì) zhōngwǔ shí èr diǎn.
现在(是)晚上十二点。
Xiànzài (shì) wǎnshang shí èr diǎn.
我们几点见？
Wǒmen jǐ diǎn jiàn?
我们明天早上七点半见。
Wǒmen míngtiān zǎoshang qī diǎn bàn jiàn.
会议下午三点二十开始。
Huìyì xiàwǔ sān diǎn èr shí kāishǐ.

FAQ near Chinese Time

Before I wrap things up, let's go through a few common questions I receive nigh expressing fourth dimension in Chinese.

There are three words for "time" in Chinese: 时间 (shíjiān), 时候 (shíhòu), and 次 (cì), each with a different meaning and is used quite differently.

时间 (shíjiān) refers to a duration of time as in "I need more time", 时候 (shíhòu) refers to a point in fourth dimension as in "this time next twelvemonth", and 次 (cì) refers to an instance of time as in "I did it one fourth dimension (once)". Scout this video if you're confused.

Although China uses a 12-hour clock, at that place are no equivalent words for AM and PM exactly in Chinese. You'll apply boosted fourth dimension words to distinguish the time of the day. They include:

早上 (zǎoshang) and 上午 (shàngwǔ) tin be translated as "early morning" and "late morning", but there are no fixed hours for these time expressions.

A rule of pollex is to apply 早上 (zǎoshang) to talk about sunday-rising hours from dawn to around ix:00 a.m, and 上午 (shàngwǔ) from 9ish to 11:00 a.one thousand. although this changes with the seasons as well as the region you live in, for instance, sunrise is around 10:00 am in the westernmost urban center of China in the winter, so fifty-fifty 12:30 p.m. can exist referred to every bit 早上 (zǎoshang) in that area.

Although China spans v time zones geographically, it has but one official time zone – Beijing Standard Time (UTC+08:00 – eight hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time). And then when it's 10:00 A.M. in Beijing, it's 10:00 A.Yard. in Shanghai (on the east shore), and 10:00 A.M likewise in Kashgar, Xinjiang (3,000 miles w).

Although many textbooks prefer to apply 两点 (liǎng diǎn) because information technology meliorate matches the "grammar rule", both 二点 (èr diǎn) and 两点 (liǎng diǎn) are widely used to express "two o'clock" in Chinese. 两点 (liǎng diǎn) is more common in colloquial Chinese while you'll hear 二点 (èr diǎn) more ofttimes in formal contexts. You'll be fine to utilize them interchangeably in daily life. Read more virtually 二 (èr) vs 两 (liǎng).

For the note of time, yous tin choose between numerals only, Chinese characters, or a mixture of numerals and characters. For example,

seven:40
七点四十(分)
7点40(分)

"60 minutes", "minute" and "second" in Chinese are 小时 (xiǎoshí), 分钟 (fēnzhōng) – and 秒 (miǎo), respectively. Note these words can serve as their own measure words (they count time), and so no extra measure give-and-take is needed when proverb them with numbers.

一小时 (yì xiǎoshí) – i hr
一分钟 (yì fēn zhōng) – one infinitesimal
一秒 (yì miǎo) – one 2nd

Also, don't get 分钟 (fēnzhōng) mixed upward with 分 (fēn) which is the minute on the clock rather than in duration.

Compare

十分钟(shífēnzhōng)
x minutes (talking near duration)

八点十分(bā diǎn shí fēn)
8:ten
Literally, "8 o'clock ten minutes" (talking about the minute on the clock)

There are two main ways of asking "are yous gratuitous" or "do y'all take fourth dimension?" in Chinese:

你有空吗？(Nǐ yǒu kòng ma?)
– Literally, "You accept free time?"

你有时间吗？(Nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma?)
– Literally, "Yous have time?"

The commencement expression is more mutual in spoken Chinese.

To answer the question when you get asked, just say 有 (yǒu) for yes, or 没有 (méiyǒu) for no.

Quick Summary

I hope by now yous've got a good grasp of Chinese fourth dimension, how to tell it, how to ask and answer some basic questions around it.

Nevertheless, here'due south a quick recap of what we covered in this guide:

To tell the time in Chinese, use the formula 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) + time. Time is expressed past saying the number of the hour get-go, followed past 点 (diǎn), and then the number of the infinitesimal. For any minute nether x, read out the "zero" – 零 (líng) before the number. An optional 分 (fēn) can exist put at the end, only it's ofttimes omitted in spoken Chinese.

To say "half past", and "quarter past" the hour, add the words 半 (bàn) and 一刻 (yí kè) to "on the 60 minutes" phrases. "Quarter to" is rarely said in Chinese, instead, use 三刻 (yí kè) – "iii quarters" – after the time on the current hour.

Talking about time in Chinese involves more than than the numbers on the clock. To be precise about the time of the day, add a time word before maxim the time on the clock. The near common time words are 早上 (zǎoshang) – "early on morn", 上午 (shàngwǔ) – "late morning", 中午 (zhōngwǔ) – "midday", 下午 (xiàwǔ) – "afternoon", and 晚上 (wǎnshang) – "evening/dark".

To inquire what time it is in Chinese, ask "现在几点？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?)" or "现在几点钟？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng?)". To say at what fourth dimension things happen, say the fourth dimension phrase before the verb. Prepositions like "in", "at", "on" are not needed in Chinese when including fourth dimension in a sentence.

All clear?

Now, we also recommend combining what you learn in this guide with our other free resources:

How to Say Chinese Numbers
How to Say the Date in Chinese
How to Say Days of the Calendar week in Chinese
Common Time Words in Chinese
Basic Chinese Words and Phrases
Basic Chinese Grammar for Beginners

And Ane More than Thing

It can be catchy to acquire Chinese through contained study if y'all don't actively live in China or Taiwan. If you really wanted to learn Chinese, we'd highly recommend you lot follow a structured Chinese course online , rather than reading odd bits and pieces here and at that place, trying to put them together on your ain (you'll start optimistic, but soon it'll all get overwhelming and exit you feeling frustrated).

Nosotros've taken the time to try out dozens of Chinese courses online, some are fabulous while others are a complete waste matter of time. Read our unbiased reviews hither and observe our top recommendations!

vanoverpophe1936.blogspot.com

Source: https://improvemandarin.com/tell-time-in-chinese/

Vanover Pophe1936