About ChineseCantonese LessonsMandarin LessonsTeachers/TutorsAbout the SiteRelated LinksDownloadsHome

Mandarin Skills Lesson 4
Time

Vocabulary

zhong¹ tou²	hour	鐘頭	ji³	how many? someodd	幾
xiao³ shi²	hour	小時	zao³ shang⁴	morning	早上
fen¹ zhong¹	minute	分鐘	zhong¹ wu³	noon	中午
miao³	second	秒	xia⁴ wu³	afternoon	下午
dian³	point	點	ye⁴ wan³	night time	夜晚
zhong¹	clock	鐘	wan³ shang⁴	evening	晚上
ban⁴	half	半	ban⁴ ye⁴	midnight	半夜

On the Hour

Telling time in Mandarin is very similar to how it is done in English. The hour is read first, then the minute, then the time of day. Mandarin differs in that the separator between hours and minutes is always read.

To tell time when a new hour is struck, the format is HOUR + "dian³" + "zhong¹" This literally is referring to the points on the clock. Each hour is considered one point. For this reason, the "2" in "2 o'clock" is replaced with "a couple" as happens with all things being counted in Mandarin.

am/pm	hours	:	clock
		dian³	(zhong¹)	=

Note that the time "morning", "afternoon" or "evening" comes first because it is the most general time. Saying "zhong¹" is normally optional.

Hours and Minutes

Hours and minutes are read using the entire number for the minutes and then add the term "minutes" (after stating morning, afternoon, or evening). This is the way time is expressed in written Chinese and it is used when giving an exact time is important. You must read the initial zero when giving the full minutes if it is 9 or less.

am/pm	hours	:	minutes
		dian³	fen¹	=

Generally, Chinese speakers will shorten fen¹ zhong¹to fen¹. When using this pattern, it is important to say fen¹ after the minutes, otherwise it can be confusing as to which form you are using.

Mandarin Skills Lesson 4 Time

Vocabulary

On the Hour

Hours and Minutes

Mandarin Skills Lesson 4
Time