Expressing time (2)
This section covers how Chinese states a clock time and the parts of the day.
1. 使用“点、分”表达时间点 — telling the time with 点 and 分
In Chinese:
点marks the hour
分marks the minutes
For a whole hour only 点 is used.
When there are minutes, 分 is added.
Basic structure
Hour + 点 + minutes + 分
For example:
九点
9:00
分 may be dropped
Once the minutes are said, 分 can usually be left out.
For example:
十五点四十
15:40
Here 四十 may be said instead of 四十分.
At ten minutes 分 is not dropped
When the minutes are exactly ten, 分 cannot be left out.
二十一点十分
21:10
Under ten minutes, 零 is said
If the minutes are under ten, 零 (líng) is said before them.
二十二点零五
22:05
Times, as examples
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 rule in short
A whole hour
Number + 点
九点
9:00
With minutes
Number + 点 + number + 分
二十一点十分
21:10
Fewer than ten minutes
Number + 点 + 零 + number
二十二点零五
22:05
2. 使用“上午、中午、下午、晚上”等时间名词表达时间段 — 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.
上午morning
中午midday
下午afternoon
晚上evening
A clock time can follow these words directly.
Basic structure
Part of the day + clock time
上午
In the morning
中午十二点
Midday, 12:00
Structure
中午 + 十二点
midday + 12 o'clock
下午两点半
Afternoon, 2:30
Structure
下午 + 两点半
afternoon + 2:30
两点two o'clock
半half
晚上九点十分
Evening, 9:10
Structure
晚上 + 九点十分
evening + 9:10
The rule in short
A clock time may follow the word naming the part of the day:
上午 / 中午 / 下午 / 晚上 + time
Examples:
中午十二点
midday, 12:00
下午两点半
afternoon, 2:30
晚上九点十分
evening, 9:10