Difference between revisions of "Structure of times (basic)"

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* 一 <em>点</em><span class="trans">1 o'clock</span>
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* 一 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Yī <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">1 o'clock</span>
* 两 <em>点</em><span class="trans">2 o'clock</span>
+
* 两 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Liǎng <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">2 o'clock</span>
* 三 <em>点</em><span class="trans">3 o'clock</span>
+
* 三 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Sān <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">3 o'clock</span>
* 十 <em>点</em><span class="trans">10 o'clock</span>
+
* 十 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Shí <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">10 o'clock</span>
* 中午 十二 <em>点</em><span class="trans"> 12 o'clock noon</span>
+
* 中午 十二 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Zhōngwǔ shí'èr <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans"> 12 o'clock noon</span>
* 上午 八 <em>点</em><span class="trans">8 o'clock a.m.</span>
+
* 上午 八 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Shàngwǔ bā <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">8 o'clock a.m.</span>
* 明天 晚上 七 <em>点</em><span class="trans">7 o'clock p.m. tomorrow</span>
+
* 明天 晚上 七 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Míngtiān wǎnshàng qī <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">7 o'clock p.m. tomorrow</span>
* 9 月 9 号 早上 六 <em>点</em><span class="trans">September 9th, 6 o'clock a.m.</span>
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* 9 月 9 号 早上 六 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">9 Yuè 9 hào zǎoshang liù <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">September 9th, 6 o'clock a.m.</span>
* 每 天 下午 一 <em>点</em><span class="trans">Every day at 1 o'clock p.m.</span>
+
* 每 天 下午 一 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Měitiān xiàwǔ yī <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">Every day at 1 o'clock p.m.</span>
* 星期三 上午 九 <em>点</em><span class="trans">Wednesday at 9 o'clock a.m.</span>
+
* 星期三 上午 九 <em>点</em><span class="pinyin">Xīngqísān shàngwǔ jiǔ <em>diǎn </em></span><span class="trans">Wednesday at 9 o'clock a.m.</span>
 
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Revision as of 16:53, 1 October 2014

Time in Chinese, just like in English, is expressed by stating the hour first then the minute.

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

  • diǎn 1 o'clock
  • Liǎng diǎn 2 o'clock
  • Sān diǎn 3 o'clock
  • Shí diǎn 10 o'clock
  • 中午 十二 Zhōngwǔ shí'èr diǎn 12 o'clock noon
  • 上午 八 Shàngwǔ bā diǎn 8 o'clock a.m.
  • 明天 晚上 七 Míngtiān wǎnshàng qī diǎn 7 o'clock p.m. tomorrow
  • 9 月 9 号 早上 六 9 Yuè 9 hào zǎoshang liù diǎn September 9th, 6 o'clock a.m.
  • 每 天 下午 一 Měitiān xiàwǔ yī diǎn Every day at 1 o'clock p.m.
  • 星期三 上午 九 Xīngqísān shàngwǔ jiǔ diǎn Wednesday at 9 o'clock a.m.

Note that two o'clock is 两点 (liǎng diǎn), not 二点 (èr diǎn). (For more information on when to use 两 (liǎng) vs. 二(èr), see "Er" and "liang".

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 刻 (kè).

Half hours

Structure

x 点 半

Examples

  • 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

In Chinese, quarter hours are only expressed on the 1st quarter x:15, and the third quarter x:45. We use the word 刻 (Kè) to express quarter.

Structure

x 点 x 刻

Examples

  • 7:15
  • 9:15
  • 十 一 11:15
  • 十 二 12:15
  • 5:15
  • 2:45
  • 1:45
  • 4:45
  • 10:45
  • 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 expressed after 点 in the same way as half and quarter hours.

When the minute is greater than 10

Structure

x 点 x 分

Examples
  • 四 十 1:40
  • 2:10
  • 二 十 五 8:25
  • 三 十 5:30
  • 二 十 3:20
  • 十 五 7:15
  • 9:05
  • 四 十 五 2:45
  • 十 五 1:15
  • 五 十 2:50

When the minute is less than 10

Structure

In Chinese, when the minute is under 10, the word 零 (líng) is often used after 点 (diǎn). For example, 2:07 would be said as “两点零七分。” However, note that when speaking, it is very common for most Chinese people take out the “分” at the end of the time.

x 点 零 x 分

Examples
  • 1:04
  • 2:09
  • 8:05
  • 5:03
  • 3:02
  • 7:03
  • 1:04
  • 2:09
  • 8:05
  • 5:03
  • 3:02
  • 7:03

To the hour

When expressing how many minutes it will be till the next full hour, you put 差 (chā) in front of the time expression.

Structure

Minutes to the hour use this structure:

差 + minutes + 分 + hour + 点

Examples

  • 十 分 两 ten minutes til 2 o'clock
  • 五 分 三 three minutes til 3 o'clock
  • 二 十 分 十二 twenty minutes til 12 o'clock
  • 两 分 五 two minutes til 5 o'clock
  • 八 分 八 eight minutes til 8 o'clock
  • 二 十 分 十二 twenty minutes til 12 o'clock
  • 十 五 分 十 fifteen minutes til 10 o'clock
  • 一刻 五 fifteen minutes til 5 o'clock
  • 五 分 八 five minutes til 8:30
  • 十 分 十 ten minutes til 10:30

See also

Sources and further reading

Books