Difference between revisions of "Structure of times (basic)"
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== On the hour == | == On the hour == | ||
| − | The time of day in Chinese is formed with a [[Structure of numbers|number]] 1 to 12 (一 to 十二) followed by 点. This 点 is equivalent to ''o'clock'' in English. In China, people generally use a twelve hour clock, preceded by 上午 (a.m.) or 下午 (p.m.) if necessary. | + | The time of day in Chinese is formed with a [[Structure of numbers|number]] 1 to 12 (一 (yī) to 十二 (shíèr)) followed by 点 (diăn). This 点 (diăn) is equivalent to ''o'clock'' in English. In China, people generally use a twelve hour clock, preceded by 上午 (shàngwŭ) (a.m.) or 下午 (xiàwŭ) (p.m.) if necessary. |
=== Structure === | === Structure === | ||
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== Half hours and quarter hours == | == Half hours and quarter hours == | ||
| − | Half and quarter hours are added after 点. A half hour is indicated with 半, and a quarter with 一刻. | + | Half and quarter hours are added after 点 (diăn). A half hour is indicated with 半 (bàn), and a quarter with 一刻 (yīkè). |
=== Half hours === | === Half hours === | ||
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== Minutes == | == Minutes == | ||
| − | Minutes are marked with 分 (short for 分钟). The way to include them in the time depends on whether they're minutes ''past'' or ''to'' the hour. | + | Minutes are marked with 分 (fēn) (short for 分钟 (fēn zhōng)). The way to include them in the time depends on whether they're minutes ''past'' or ''to'' the hour. |
=== Past the hour === | === Past the hour === | ||
Revision as of 10:04, 16 June 2014
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Time in Chinese also goes "big to small."
Contents
On the hour
The time of day in Chinese is formed with a number 1 to 12 (一 (yī) to 十二 (shíèr)) followed by 点 (diăn). This 点 (diăn) is equivalent to o'clock in English. In China, people generally use a twelve hour clock, preceded by 上午 (shàngwŭ) (a.m.) or 下午 (xiàwŭ) (p.m.) if necessary.
Structure
x 点
Examples
- 一 点1 o'clock
- 两 点2 o'clock
- 三 点3 o'clock
- 十 点10 o'clock
- 中午 十二 点 12 o'clock noon
- 上午 八 点8 o'clock a.m.
- 明天 晚上 七 点7 o'clock p.m. tomorrow
- 9 月 9 号 早上 六 点September 9th, 6 o'clock a.m.
- 每 天 下午 一 点Every day at 1 o'clock p.m.
- 星期三 上午 九 点Wednesday at 9 o'clock a.m.
Note that two o'clock is 两点, not 二点.
Half hours and quarter hours
Half and quarter hours are added after 点 (diăn). A half hour is indicated with 半 (bàn), and a quarter with 一刻 (yīkè).
Half hours
Structure
x 点 半
Examples
- 五 点 半5:30
- 下午 两 点 半2:30 p.m.
- 9 月 9 号 早上 六 点 半September 9th, 6:30 a.m.
- 每 天 下午 一 点 半Every day at 1:30 p.m.
- 星期 三 上午 九 点 半Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
- 上午 十 点 半10:30 a.m.
- 明天 三 点 半3:30 tomorrow
- 昨天 七 点 半7:30 yesterday
- 星期 五 晚上 十 点 半Friday evening at 10:30 p.m.
- 今天 下午 四 点 半4:30 p.m. this afternoon.
quarter hours
Structure
x 点 x 刻
Examples
- 七 点 一 刻 7:15
- 九 点 一 刻 9:15
- 十 一 点 一 刻 11:15
- 十 二 点 一 刻 12:15
- 五 点 一 刻 5:15
- 两 点 三 刻 2:45
- 一 点 三 刻 1:45
- 四 点 三 刻 4:45
- 十 点 三 刻 10:45
- 六 点 三 刻 6:45
Minutes
Minutes are marked with 分 (fēn) (short for 分钟 (fēn zhōng)). The way to include them in the time depends on whether they're minutes past or to the hour.
Past the hour
Minutes past the hour are added after 点 in the same way as half and quarter hours.
整数分钟
Structure
x 点 x 分
Examples
- 一 点 四 十 分1:40
- 两 点 十 分 2:10
- 八 点 二 十 五 分8:25
- 五 点 三 十 分 5:30
- 三 点 二 十 分 3:20
- 七 点 十 五 分 7:15
- 九 点 五 分 9:05
- 两 点 四 十 五 分 2:45
- 一 点 十 五 分 1:15
- 两 点 五 十 分2:50
Also, you can omit 分 in this structure when X 分>10 分. For example: 2:15 is 两点十五.
零
Structure
当分钟数不是5，10，15这样的数字时，我们一般会在“点”后面加“零”，比如2:07 就是 “两点零七分”。需要注意的是，人们经常喜欢省略“两点零七分”后面的“分”，直接说“两点零七”。但如果是5，10，15这样的数字，你加“零”也不是错的。
x 点 零 x 分
Examples
- 一 点 零 四 分 1:04
- 两 点 零 九分 2:09
- 八 点 零 五 分 8:05
- 五 点 零 三 分 5:03
- 三 点 零 二 分 3:02
- 七 点 零 三 分7:03
- 一 点 零 四 1:04
- 两 点 零 九 2:09
- 八 点 零 五 8:05
- 五 点 零 三 5:03
- 三 点 零 二 3:02
- 七 点 零 三7:03
To the hour
Structure
Minutes to the hour use this structure:
差 + minutes + 分 + hour + 点
Examples
- 差 十 分 两 点ten minutes til 2 o'clock
- 差 五 分 三 点three minutes til 3 o'clock
- 差 二 十 分 十二 点twenty minutes til 12 o'clock
- 差 两 分 五 点two minutes til 5 o'clock
- 差 八 分 八 点eight minutes til 8 o'clock
- 差 二 十 分 十二 点twenty minutes til 12 o'clock
- 差 十 五 分 十 点fifteen minutes til 10 o'clock
- 差 一刻 五 点fifteen minutes til 5 o'clock
- 差 五 分 八 点 半five minutes til 8:30
- 差 十 分 十 点半ten minutes til 10:30
