Expressing time (2)
telling the time with 点 and 分
Chinese expresses clock time with the words 点 (diǎn) and 分 (fēn):
点diǎnmarks the hour
分fēnmarks the minutes
For a whole hour only 点 is used. When there are minutes, 分 is added.
| 点 (hour) | 分 (minute) | in figures |
|---|---|---|
| 九点 | 9:00 | |
| 二十点 | 20:00 | |
| 十五点 | 四十 | 15:40 |
| 二十一点 | 十分 | 21:10 |
| 二十二点 | 零五 | 22:05 |
the parts of the day
Time nouns such as 上午, 中午, 下午 and 晚上 name a particular part of the day.
早上zǎoshangearly morning
上午shàngwǔmorning
中午zhōngwǔmidday
下午xiàwǔafternoon
晚上wǎnshangevening
A clock time can follow these words directly.
Part of the day + clock time
下午两点半
下午xiàwǔafternoon
两点liǎng diǎntwo o'clock
半bànhalf
中午十二点
中午zhōngwǔnoon
十二点shí'èr diǎntwelve o'clock
晚上九点十分
晚上wǎnshangevening
九点jiǔ diǎnnine o'clock
十分shí fēnten minutes