Telling Time in Chinese - The Complete Guide For Beginners - ImproveMandarin

12/7/21, 11:25 PM Telling Time in Chinese - The Complete Guide for Beginners - ImproveMandarin
ImproveMandarin
Telling Time in Chinese – The Complete Guide for

Beginners
Time plays a fundamental role in our everyday life. Whether you want to schedule meetings, make
travel plans, meet up with your friends, or simply want to share your story, knowing how to tell the time
in Chinese can make a world of difference.
The Chinese time system is easy and straightforward – once you have known your way around
numbers, you just need to learn 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 need to take note of.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll give you a complete insight into how time expressions work in
Mandarin Chinese. You’ll learn how to say the time in both formal and informal styles, how to ask
https://improvemandarin.com/tell-time-in-chinese/ 1/32
basic time-related questions, and use the time to talk about your past, present, 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 need to be aware of when learning this aspect of the Chinese
language.
Chinese Time Vocabulary: The Words You Need to Know
China predominantly uses a 12-hour time system. This means words like “morning”, “afternoon” or
“evening” are frequently used with the time itself in daily time expressions. To tell the time in Chinese,
you have to not only be able to pronounce the hours and minutes correctly but also know the basics of
Chinese time vocabulary.
So, here’s the list of key Chinese time vocabulary words to give you a foundation. They come along
with pronunciations and English translations.
Chinese Pinyin English
点 diǎn o’clock
分 fēn minute (on the clock)
半 bàn half
刻 kè quarter
现在 xiànzài now
早上 zǎoshang (early) morning
上午 shàngwǔ (late) morning
中午 zhōngwǔ midday
下午 xiàwǔ afternoon
晚上 wǎnshang evening/night
Some of these words have other meanings in Chinese (like how 点 diǎn also means “dot” and
“to order”). So, remember these are only their definitions as they relate to time.
Chinese Numbers for Telling the Time
You’ll also need 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 our full
tutorial on how to read numbers in Chinese first to help you get started. To put it simply, Chinese
numbers are all about compounding and adding the basic numbers 1 to 10 – from 11 to 19, it’s 10 plus
the other number (e.g. 12 is “ten – two”), and from 20 onwards, you count the tens first and then do
the adding (e.g. 25 is “two 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
1 一 yī
2 二/两 èr/liǎng
3 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 two translations in Chinese: 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng). Basically, you can use them
interchangeably when expressing the hours (e.g, 2:04), but when it comes to expressing the minutes
(e.g, 4:02), only 二 (èr) can be used. You will see many examples of these in the next section, so don’t
stress if you don’t get it yet!
Formula for Telling the Time in Chinese
When you say the time in English, you start with “it’s”. For instance, “It’s ten past nine”.
However, when you say the time in Chinese, you’ll follow a different formula:
现在是 + time
Xiànzài shì + time
Literally, “Now is … (time)”
When someone asks you the time in Chinese, you’ll reply with 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) – “Now is”,
followed by the time. (And when you ask the time in Chinese, instead of asking “what time is it”, you
ask “what time is now” – we’ll come back 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 time (learn more
about topic-comment structure). In many of our examples, you’ll find 是 (shì) in
parentheses.
All right, with that said, you are now officially ready to tell the time in Chinese!
Saying What Time It Is in Chinese

Let’s start by breaking down how to tell the numerical time on the Chinese clock.
On the Hour
To say a time on the hour in Chinese (like two o’clock or six o’clock), say the number corresponding
to the hour first, then add the word 点 (diǎn) – “o’clock” to it.
Format: number of the hour + 点 (diǎn)
You see, it’s exactly the same structure as English, which is really simple and easy to remember.
In most contexts, it is acceptable to simply say the time when you are asked “what time is it” in
Chinese, but if you want to give a complete answer, you can start by saying 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) or 现
在 (Xiànzài) before the time. Here’s how that would look in practice:
现在(是)一点 – It’s one o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì ) yī diǎn
现在(是)两点 – It’s two o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn
现在(是)三点 – It’s three o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì) sān diǎn
现在(是)四点 – It’s four o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn
现在(是)五点 – It’s five o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì) wǔ diǎn
现在(是)六点 – It’s 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’s ten o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn
现在(是)十一点 – It’s eleven o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì) shí yī diǎn
现在(是)十二点 – It’s twelve o’clock.
Xiànzài (shì) shí èr diǎn
Note that unlike in English where we often leave out the word “o’clock” (for instance, we can say “it’s
almost five” or “it’s six already), in Chinese, the word 点 (diǎn) is always needed after the number
of the hour. (Sometimes people use 点钟 diǎnzhōng – the longer form of 点 diǎn – after the number
to sound more casual, but you’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 nothing to do with time)
Also, for saying “two o’clock”, although the official grammar rule is that you’re supposed to read the
“two” on the hour as 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr), many Chinese people speak it otherwise (I, for one, say 二
点 èr diǎn most of the time).
If you don’t want to get this muddled up, stick with the officially favored version – 两点 (liǎng diǎn) –
it’s slightly more common in colloquial Chinese. Just know that you 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 (Half past…)
Now, the time is not always on the hour. Chinese time allows you to round up to the half hour and
quarter hour like you’re used to in English (when it’s 28 minutes past, you can say it’s half past as you
normally would). So how do you say “half past… ”, “quarter past…” and “quarter to” in Chinese?
Well, the Chinese versions are actually simpler than English. Let’s start with half hours.
To say half past the hour in Chinese, use the word 半 (bàn) – meaning “half” – after 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 three.
Xiànzài (shì) sān diǎn bàn
现在(是)六点半 – It’s half past six.
Xiànzài (shì) liù diǎn bàn
现在(是)十一点半 – It’s half past eleven.
Xiànzài (shì) shí yī diǎn bàn
You see, instead of “half past three”, “half past six”, “half past eleven”, in Chinese, they are expressed
as “three o’clock half”, “six o’clock half”, “eleven o’clock half”, respectively. Note that the word 点
(diǎn) must always be said after the number of the hour.
You can also express the half hour in “digital format” like you would do in English, for instance,
“eleven-thirty” rather than “half past eleven”. You’ll learn how to indicate the minutes in Chinese in the
next section, don’t worry.
Quarter Hours (Quarter past/to…)
Expressing the quarter hours in Chinese is a lot like expressing the half hours – you say the “on the
hour” phrase first, and then swap out the word “half” with “a quarter” or “three quarters”.
Let’s take a look.
Quarter past
To say a quarter past the hour in Chinese, use the phrase 一刻 (yí kè) – meaning “a quarter” –
after the time on the hour.
Format: number of the hour + 点 (diǎn) + 一刻 (yí kè)
For example,
现在(是)两点一刻 – It’s a quarter past two.
Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn yí kè
现在(是)四点一刻 – It’s a quarter past four.
Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn yí kè
现在(是)七点一刻 – It’s a quarter past 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 counterpart – 差一刻 (chà yí kè) – meaning “short of a quarter” after the hour to come to
express “a quarter to that hour”, for instance
三点差一刻
sān diǎn chà yí kè
a quarter to three
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 saying a quarter to the hour in Chinese is to say “three quarters
past the hour”. That is, you use the phrase 三刻 (yí kè) – “three quarters” – after the time on
the hour you’re currently in.
Format: number of the current hour + 点 (diǎn) + 三刻 (sān kè)
Here are some examples.
现在(是)两点三刻 – It’s a quarter to three. (two o’clock three quarters)
Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn sān kè
现在(是)四点三刻 – It’s a quarter to five. (four o’clock three quarters)
Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn sān kè
现在(是)七点三刻 – It’s a quarter to eight. (seven o’clock three quarters)
Xiànzài (shì) qī diǎn sān kè
Chinese people prefer to say “three quarters past the current hour” rather than “a quarter to the
upcoming hour”.
The reason? It sounds more concise. (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 information when you can cut it
short?
Remember as well that quarter hours come after the word 点 (diǎn), just like hours and half hours.
The Exact Time (Hour + Minutes)
Wanna be a little more specific? Here’s how Chinese time works when you need to tell the precise
time, down to the minute.
The structure of hour + minutes in Chinese is quite simple – you say the time on the hour first, then
say the number corresponding to the minute.
Format: number of the hour + 点 (diǎn) + number of the minute
As always, you can start by saying 现在是 (Xiànzài shì) or 现在 (Xiànzài) before the time. For
example, if you want to say that its 5:21, you’ll say:
现在(是)五点二十一
Xiànzài (shì) wǔ diǎn èr shí yī
Literally, “Now (is) five o’clock twenty-one”
Thus, the same as in English, there are two ways that you can use to indicate half hours and quarter
hours in Chinese.
If it’s 8:15, you can say
现在(是)八点一刻 – It’s a quarter past eight. (eight o’clock a quarter)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn yí kè
现在(是)八点十五 – It’s eight fifteen. (eight o’clock fifteen)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn shí wǔ
现在(是)八点半 – It’s half past eight. (eight o’clock half)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn bàn
现在(是)八点三十 – It’s eight thirty. (eight o’clock thirty)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn sān shí
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 eight forty-five. (eight o’clock forty-five)
Xiànzài (shì) bā diǎn sì shí wǔ
Pretty easy, isn’t it?
There’s just one thing you need to note: the minutes on the clock are expressed slightly differently
when they are less than 10.
Let me elaborate.
Minutes Greater Than 10
When the minutes are greater than 10 or precisely 10 on the clock, you just need to read out the
number representing the minute like you usually do. For example,
10:50
十点五十
shí diǎn wǔ shí

Minutes Less Than 10
When the minutes are under 10 on the clock, you need to read out the “zero” – 零 (líng) before the
number corresponding to the minute.
For example, 10:05
You’ll read it as 十点零五 (shí diǎn líng wǔ) – literally “ten o’clock zero five”. People will not
understand you if you drop the 零 (líng) here.
The zero in Chinese can be used to link two number units, similar to the way we use
“and” in English. For example, instead of saying “one year and three days”, Chinese people
say 一年零三天 (yì nián líng sān tiān), literally “one year zero three days”. (Read more
about zero in Chinese).
You can also put the word 分 (fēn) – meaning “minute” after any “hour + minutes” structure. This is
totally optional and typically used in formal contexts (such as news reports).
So, if it’s 10:50, you can either say
现在(是)十点五十 (more common in spoken Chinese)
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn wǔ shí
or
现在(是)十点五十分
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn wǔ shí fēn
And if it’s 10:05, you can say
现在(是)十点零五 (more common in spoken Chinese)
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn líng wǔ
or
现在(是)十点零五分
Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn líng wǔ fēn
Saying the Time of the Day in Chinese: Morning,

Afternoon, or Evening?
China, like the United States, uses the 12-hour clock. So you can use 五点 (“five o’clock”) to refer to
the time of morning and afternoon. To clarify whether it’s five in the morning or five in the afternoon,
you’ll need to use some extra time words.
In Chinese, there is no a.m. or p.m. Instead, you add either 早上 (zǎoshang) – “early morning”, 上午
(shàngwǔ) – “late 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’s take a look at what time range each of these words represents and how to combine them with
the concrete time in Chinese.
早上 (zǎoshang): (Early) Morning
早上 (zǎoshang) refers to the sun-rising hours. It’s roughly the time from dawn to around 9:00 a.m.
(There 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 half”
上午 (shàngwǔ): (Late) Morning
上午 (shàngwǔ) literally means “above noon” (think of the day as a timetable). It can be from 9:00 a.m.
to around 11:00 a.m.
10:25 a.m.
上午十点二十五
Shàngwǔ shí diǎn èr shí wǔ
Literally: “(late) morning ten o’clock twenty-five”
中午 (zhōngwǔ): Midday
中午 (zhōngwǔ) is translated as midday, but it’s pretty much the same thing as 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 1:00 p.m
– again, roughly.
12:01 p.m.
中午十二点零一
Zhōngwǔ shí èr diǎn líng yī
Literally, “midday twelve o’clock zero one”
下午 (xiàwǔ): Afternoon
下午 (xiàwǔ) means “under noon” in Chinese. It’s typically from 1:00 p.m. to around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m
when the sun 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 fifty-eight”
晚上 (wǎnshang): Evening/Night
The character 晚 (wǎn) is formed by 日 (rì) – “sun”, and 免 (miǎn) – “free of”, so 晚上 (wǎnshang)
refers to the hours without the sun or sunlight (sunset to dawn).
Speaking by definition, 晚上 (wǎnshang) can be evening and night at the same time, though some
people would use 晚上 (wǎnshang) to talk about the time between 6ish to around 11:00 p.m., and
other words such as 深夜 (shēnyè) – “late night”, 半夜 (bànyè) – “midnight” and 凌晨 (língchén) –
“before dawn” for other time of the night to be more precise.
8:45 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 you put time words like a.m., p.m., in the morning, in the
afternoon, etc at the end of the time, when you tell the time in Chinese and want to be precise,
you use the time words before the time on the 12-hour clock (not after!) following the “broad to
specific” rule.
Here’s the format.
Time Words + Time on the Clock
So in Chinese, instead of saying five o’clock in the morning, you say morning five o’clock.
√ 早上五点 (zǎoshang wǔ diǎn)

× 五点早上 (wǔ diǎn zǎoshang)
China, of roughly similar size to the United States, 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 instance, when it’s noon in the capital,
the sun merely starts to rise 3,000 miles further west, in Kashgar, Xinjiang. So don’t be
surprised when you hear locals there say 早上十二点 (zǎoshang shí èr diǎn)- “early
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 time words independently when the exact time is not very important and you just
want to talk about the general time of the day.
Here are some examples,
早上很冷。
Zǎoshang hěn lěng.
It’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 have a meeting in the (late) morning.
Literally, “(Late) morning I have a meeting.”
中午你吃什么？
Zhōngwǔ nǐ chī shénme?
What do you eat for midday (lunch)?
Literally, “Midday you eat 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, “Night I sleep eight hours.”
Not sure how word order works in a Chinese sentence? Read our basic Chinese grammar
guide for beginners.
Telling the Time on 24-hour Clock

Though the norm in daily Chinese is to use the 12-hour clock, you may still find the 24-hour
clock used for news reports, documents, timetables, television or film listings, or hours that a shop is
open.
In Chinese, you pronounce this the same way as the 12-hour clock system.
15:00
十五点
shí wǔ diǎn
Literally: “fifteen o’clock”
18:42
十八点四十二
shí bā diǎn sì shí èr
Literally: “eighteen o’clock forty-two”
Keep in mind this isn’t the military time you may have learned in English. You don’t say “fifteen-
hundred hours” in Chinese. It’s 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 learn how to properly ask the time in Chinese as well.
This will come in handy when your phone is out of juice!
There are two common ways you can ask for the time in Chinese.
1. 现在几点？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?)
This is the standard expression you can use if you want to know what time it is on the clock.
The word 几 (jǐ) is the question word for numbers. So this question literally means “Now (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 half past four.
Literally, “Now (is) four o’clock half.”
Or simply just the time,
四点半。
Sì diǎn bàn.
Half past four.
Literally, “Four o’clock half.”
2. 现在几点钟？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng?)
Another way to ask what time it is in Chinese is to use the longer form of the previous question – 现在
几点钟？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng?)
Contrary to what you might think, the full form of 点 (diǎn) – 点钟 (diǎnzhōng) actually makes the
question more casual, not formal. Feel free to use it in general conversation with your friends.
Now, if you stop a random person on the street to ask them what time it is, you could add the phrase –
请问 (qǐng wèn), meaning “may I ask…” at the beginning of your question to sound polite.
请问, 现在几点(钟)？
Qǐng wèn, xiànzài jǐ diǎnzhōng?
Excuse me, what time is it?
Literally, “May I ask, now (is) what number o’clock?”
Important: Even though the phrase 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) means “what time”, you
never use it to ask what the time is in Chinese – 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) works more
like the question word “when” in English.
Saying & Asking at What Time Things Happen
All right, now that you have a bunch of time-telling expressions at your disposal, you’re ready to
employ them to talk about your daily routines and plans.
Describing Daily Routines
To describe what you do during the day and at what time, simply mention the time before your
action.
我早上七点起床。
Wǒ zǎoshang qī diǎn qǐchuáng.
I get up at 7:00 a.m.
Literally, “I morning seven o’clock get up.”
我中午十二点半吃午饭。
Wǒ zhōngwǔ shí èr diǎn bàn chī wǔfàn.
I have lunch at 12:30 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 get off from work at 5:45 p.m.
Literally, “I afternoon five o’clock three quarters get off work.”
我晚上十一点睡觉。
Wǒ wǎnshang shí yī diǎn shuìjiào.
I go to bed at 11:00 p.m.
Literally, “I evening eleven o’clock sleep.”
Before we move on, there are two things you need to be aware of when you include time in a
sentence.
1. Unlike in English, the position of time phrase is rather fixed in a Chinese sentence – it must be
placed before the verb. Therefore, you can’t say “get up in the morning” or “get up at seven o’clock” in
Chinese, instead, you say “(in the) morning get up”, “(at) seven o’clock get up”. Read more about
basic Chinese word order.
2. Phrases like “in the morning”, “at seven o’clock”, etc can’t be translated verbatim in Chinese.
Though you could be tempted to add 在 (zài) – the word for “in” or “at” – before the time word, don’t
do it. The only correct way to talk about something happening at a specific time in Chinese is by
saying the time on its own.
Making Plans for the Future
If you’re having a conversation with friends and making plans for the future, like meeting for coffee the
next day, you can use the phrase 好吗? (hǎo ma?) at the end to suggest it. For instance,
我们明天下午一点见，好吗？
Wǒmen míngtiān xiàwǔ yī diǎn jiàn, hǎo ma?
Shall we meet at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow?
Literally, “We tomorrow afternoon one o’clock meet, okay?”
我们上午十一点开始，好吗？
Wǒmen shàngwǔ shí yī diǎn kāishǐ, hǎo ma?
Shall we begin at 11:00 a.m.?
Literally, “We (late) morning eleven o’clock begin, okay?”
我们两点一刻出发，好吗？
Wǒmen liǎng diǎn yī kè chūfā, hǎo ma?
Shall we leave at a quarter past two?
Literally, “We two 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 arrive at 8:30 p.m.?
Literally, “We evening eight o’clock half arrive, okay?”
People can then respond with whether that’s okay (好 hǎo) or not (不好 bù hǎo), or if they’d like to
propose a different time.
Asking When Something Will Happen
If you don’t have a time in mind, or simply want to know what time you’re going to meet or when
things will happen, use the phrase 几点 (jǐ diǎn) – “what number clock” to ask for that information.
You don’t need to change word order – simply replace the concrete time in a conceivable answer with
the question word 几点 (jǐ diǎn).
你几点起床？
Nǐ jǐ diǎn qǐchuáng?
What time do you get up?
Literally, “You what number o’clock get up?”
你几点下班？
Nǐ jǐ diǎn xià bān?
What time do you get off from work?
Literally, “You what number o’clock get off work?”
我们明天几点见？
Wǒmen míngtiān jǐ diǎn jiàn?
When shall we meet 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?”
There you go!
Other Useful Time Expressions in Chinese

Wow, that’s a lot of information, isn’t it?
I would say the above should have given you a solid foundation to express the right time, make plans
with people and understand some of China’s time-related nuances.
But if you’re in the mood for more, here’s an additional list of useful words and phrases you can use
when telling time in Chinese.
Chinese Pinyin English
…整 … zhěng (…o’clock) sharp
刚才 gāngcái just now
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 … around…
…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 (duration)
秒 miǎo second
Exercise on Telling the Time in Chinese

Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on telling the time in Chinese with these translation exercises.
1. 8:05 a.m.
2. 2:15 p.m.
3. 4:45 p.m.
4. 18:58
5. What time is it?
6. It’s 12:00 p.m. (noon)
7. It’s 12:00 a.m. (midnight)
8. What time shall we meet?
9. We’ll meet at 7:30 tomorrow morning.

10. The meeting starts at 3:20 p.m.
Answers:
1. 早上八点零五(分)
zǎoshang bā diǎn líng wǔ (fēn)

2. 下午二点一刻; 下午两点一刻
xiàwǔ èr diǎn yí kè or xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn yí kè (more colloquial)

3. 下午四点三刻
xiàwǔ sì diǎn sān kè

4. 十八点五十八
shí bā diǎn wǔ shí bā

5. 现在几点(钟)？
Xiànzài jǐ diǎn (zhōng)?
6. 现在(是)中午十二点。
Xiànzài (shì) zhōngwǔ shí èr diǎn.

7. 现在(是)晚上十二点。
Xiànzài (shì) wǎnshang shí èr diǎn.

8. 我们几点见？
Wǒmen jǐ diǎn jiàn?
9. 我们明天早上七点半见。
Wǒmen míngtiān zǎoshang qī diǎn bàn jiàn.
10. 会议下午三点二十开始。
Huìyì xiàwǔ sān diǎn èr shí kāishǐ.
FAQ about Chinese Time

Before I wrap things up, let’s go through a few common questions I receive about expressing time in
Chinese.
How do I say the word “time” 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
time as in “this time next year”, and 次 (cì) refers to an instance of time as in “I did it one time (once)”.
Watch this video if you’re confused.
How do I say AM and PM in Chinese?

Although China uses a 12-hour clock, there are no equivalent words for AM and PM exactly in
Chinese. You’ll use additional time words to distinguish the time of the day. They include:
早上 (zǎoshang): early morning

上午 (shàngwǔ): late morning
中午 (zhōngwǔ): midday
下午 (xiàwǔ): afternoon
晚上 (wǎnshang): evening/night
深夜 (shēnyè): late night
半夜 (bànyè): midnight
凌晨 (língchén): before dawn
What’s the boundary between 早上 (zǎoshang) and 上午 (shàngwǔ)?

早上 (zǎoshang) and 上午 (shàngwǔ) can be translated as “early morning” and “late morning”, but
there are no fixed hours for these time expressions.
A rule of thumb is to use 早上 (zǎoshang) to talk about sun-rising hours from dawn to around 9:00
a.m, and 上午 (shàngwǔ) from 9ish to 11:00 a.m. 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 city of China in the
winter, so even 12:30 p.m. can be referred to as 早上 (zǎoshang) in that area.
How many time zones does China have?

Although China spans five time zones geographically, it has just one official time zone – Beijing
Standard Time (UTC+08:00 – eight hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time). So when it’s 10:00
A.M. in Beijing, it’s 10:00 A.M. in Shanghai (on the east shore), and 10:00 A.M too in Kashgar,
Xinjiang (3,000 miles west).
Is two o’clock 二点 (èr diǎn) or 两点 (liǎng diǎn) in Chinese?

Although many textbooks prefer to use 两点 (liǎng diǎn) because it better 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 often in
formal contexts. You’ll be fine to use them interchangeably in daily life. Read more about 二 (èr) vs 两
(liǎng).
How do I write the time in Chinese?

For the notation of time, you can choose between numerals only, Chinese characters, or a mixture of
numerals and characters. For example,
7:40
七点四十(分)
7点40(分)
How do I say “hour”, “minute” and “second” in Chinese?

“Hour”, “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), so no extra
measure word is needed when saying them with numbers.
一小时 (yì xiǎoshí) – one hour

一分钟 (yì fēn zhōng) – one minute
一秒 (yì miǎo) – one second
Also, don’t get 分钟 (fēnzhōng) mixed up with 分 (fēn) which is the minute on the clock rather than in
duration.
Compare
十分钟 (shí fēnzhōng)
ten minutes (talking about duration)
八点十分 (bā diǎn shí fēn)
8:10
Literally, “eight o’clock ten minutes” (talking about the minute on the clock)
How do I say “are you free?” or “do you have time” in Chinese?
There are two main ways of asking “are you free” or “do you have time?” in Chinese:
你有空吗？(Nǐ yǒu kòng ma?)
– Literally, “You have free time?”
你有时间吗？(Nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma?)
– Literally, “You have time?”
The first expression is more common in spoken Chinese.
To answer the question when you get asked, simply say 有 (yǒu) for yes, or 没有 (méiyǒu) for no.
Quick Summary
I hope by now you’ve got a good grasp of Chinese time, how to tell it, how to ask and answer some
basic questions around it.
Nevertheless, here’s 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 by saying
the number of the hour first, followed by 点 (diǎn), and then the number of the minute. For any minute
under 10, read out the “zero” – 零 (líng) before the number. An optional 分 (fēn) can be put at the end,
but it’s often 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
hour” phrases. “Quarter to” is rarely said in Chinese, instead, use 三刻 (yí kè) – “three quarters” –
after the time on the current hour.
Talking about time in Chinese involves more than the numbers on the clock. To be precise about the
time of the day, add a time word before saying the time on the clock. The most common time words
are 早上 (zǎoshang) – “early morning”, 上午 (shàngwǔ) – “late morning”, 中午 (zhōngwǔ) – “midday”,
下午 (xiàwǔ) – “afternoon”, and 晚上 (wǎnshang) – “evening/night”.
To ask 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 time things happen, say the time phrase before the verb.
Prepositions like “in”, “at”, “on” are not needed in Chinese when including time 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 Week in Chinese
Common Time Words in Chinese
Basic Chinese Words and Phrases
Basic Chinese Grammar for Beginners
And One More Thing
It can be tricky to learn Chinese through independent study if you don’t actively live in
China or Taiwan. If you really wanted to learn Chinese, we’d highly recommend
you follow a structured Chinese course online, rather than reading odd bits and pieces
here and there, trying to put them together on your own (you’ll start optimistic, but soon it’ll
all get overwhelming and leave you feeling frustrated).
We’ve taken the time to try out dozens of Chinese courses online, some are fabulous while
others are a complete waste of time. Read our unbiased reviews here and discover our top
recommendations!
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Telling Time in Chinese – The Complete Guide for

Okay, time to learn the time in Chinese!

How to Tell the Time in Mandarin Chinese – An Overview

Chinese Time Vocabulary: The Words You Need to Know

Chinese Pinyin English

分 fēn minute (on the clock)

早上 zǎoshang (early) morning

上午 shàngwǔ (late) morning

Chinese Numbers for Telling the Time

Number Character Pinyin

Formula for Telling the Time in Chinese

Xiànzài shì + time

Literally, “Now is … (time)”

Saying What Time It Is in Chinese

Format: number of the hour + 点 (diǎn)

现在(是)一点 – It’s one o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì ) yī diǎn

现在(是)两点 – It’s two o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn

现在(是)三点 – It’s three o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì) sān diǎn

现在(是)四点 – It’s four o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn

现在(是)五点 – It’s five o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì) wǔ diǎn

现在(是)六点 – It’s six o’clock.

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’s ten o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì) shí diǎn

现在(是)十一点 – It’s eleven o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì) shí yī diǎn

现在(是)十二点 – It’s twelve o’clock.

Xiànzài (shì) shí èr diǎn

Compare the two expressions below.

shí èr diǎn diǎn (zhōng)

numeral “12” (having nothing to do with time)

Half Hours (Half past…)

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

现在(是)三点半 – It’s half past three.

Xiànzài (shì) sān diǎn bàn

现在(是)六点半 – It’s half past six.

现在(是)十一点半 – It’s half past eleven.

Xiànzài (shì) shí yī diǎn bàn

Quarter Hours (Quarter past/to…)

Let’s take a look.

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

现在(是)两点一刻 – It’s a quarter past two.

Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn yí kè

现在(是)四点一刻 – It’s a quarter past four.

Xiànzài (shì) sì diǎn yí kè

现在(是)七点一刻 – It’s a quarter past seven.

Literally, “three o’clock short of a quarter”

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

Here are some examples.

现在(是)两点三刻 – It’s a quarter to three. (two o’clock three quarters)

Xiànzài (shì) liǎng diǎn sān kè

现在(是)四点三刻 – It’s a quarter to five. (four o’clock three quarters)