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Telling Time

Spoken Description

学习时间：掌握基础汉语时间词汇（小时、分钟和下午）、问路和安排日常（如“几点了”或“早上九点到十点”）、读表（数字时钟和手机）以及表达未来和过去（

Learn time-telling: master basic English time words (hours, minutes, afternoon), daily talk (asking

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用普通话表达时间遵循一个直接的模式，使用 diǎn (点) 表示小时，fēn (分) 表示分钟，并有一些关于一天中的时间段和大致时间的实用表达。本指南涵盖了你需要的关键词汇和常用短语，以便自然地询问和表达时间。

Telling time in Mandarin follows a straightforward pattern using diǎn (点) for hours and fēn (分) for minutes, with useful expressions for parts of the day and approximations. This guide covers the key vocabulary and common phrases you need to ask for and give the time naturally.

Key Vocabulary

学习关于小时 (diǎn 点)、分钟 (fēn 分)、半 (bàn 半)、刻 (kè 刻)，以及一天中各个时间段的基本词汇，这样你就可以精准地定位和应用时间。

Learn the basic terms for hour (diǎn 点), minute (fēn 分), half (bàn 半), quarter (kè 刻), and parts of the day so you can pinpoint and contextualize time.
Hanzi Character(s)Pinyin Word(s)English Translation(s)
点diǎno'clock / hour
分fēnminute
半bànhalf / half past
刻kèquarter (15 minutes)
上午shàngwǔmorning
下午xiàwǔafternoon
现在xiànzàinow
现在是十(o'clock) 。

It is ten o'clock.

It's 10 o'clock.

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Asking Time

询问时间时，用 jǐ diǎn (几点) 表示小时，用 jǐ fēn (几分) 表示分钟；加入 xiànzài (现在) 会让句子更自然。你也可以用 shénme shíhòu (什么时候) 来更广泛地询问时间。

To ask the time, use jǐ diǎn (几点) for hour and jǐ fēn (几分) for minutes; adding xiànzài (现在) makes it more natural. You can also ask shénme shíhòu (什么时候) for time in a broader sense.
Hanzi Character(s)Pinyin Word(s)English Translation(s)
现在几点了？xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?What time is it now?
现在几分了？xiànzài jǐ fēn le?What minute is it now?
你几点睡觉？nǐ jǐ diǎn shuìjiào?What time do you sleep?
你什么时候来？nǐ shénme shíhòu lái?When will you come?

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Telling Time

用 diǎn (点) 来陈述小时，然后用 fēn (分) 来说明分钟。用 bàn (半) 表示半点，用 kè (刻) 表示整刻（15分钟）。如果是在整点之前，可以用chà...fēn (差...分) 来表达距离下一小时还有多少分钟。

State the hour with diǎn (点), then minutes with fēn (分). Use bàn (半) for half past and kè (刻) for quarters. For times before the hour, you can say how many minutes until the next hour with phrases like chà ... fēn (差...分).
现在是两点一。

It is two fifteen.

It's a quarter past two.

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Parts of the Day

加入 shàngwǔ (上午)、zhōngwǔ (中午)、xiàwǔ (下午)、wǎnshàng (晚上) 或 zǎoshàng (早上)，有助于说明事件发生的时间段，让你的表达更自然，也更容易理解。

Adding shàngwǔ (上午), zhōngwǔ (中午), xiàwǔ (下午), wǎnshàng (晚上), or zǎoshàng (早上) helps situate an event in the day and sounds more natural in conversation.
现在是早上九。

It is 9 o'clock in the morning.

It's 9 o'clock in the morning.

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Approximations

使用像 chà (差) 来表示“差几分钟”，guāng (刚) 或 cái (才) 来表示“刚刚”，以及 zuǒyòu (左右) 来表达“大约”，当时间不非常准确时，这些词能让你的表达更委婉、更符合日常口语。

Use words like chà (差) to say "minutes to," guāng (刚) or cái (才) to indicate "just," and zuǒyòu (左右) for "about" when time is not exact. These soften your statement and match everyday speech.

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Summary

在普通话中表达时间，主要依赖于 diǎn (点) 表示小时，fēn (分) 表示分钟，以及一些固定表达半点和整刻的短语；同时结合时间段的表达和大致时间的述说，使对话更自然。反复练习常用的问句和回答，有助于熟练掌握这种表达模式。

Telling time in Mandarin relies on diǎn (点) for hours, fēn (分) for minutes, and set phrases for half and quarter hours; include parts of the day for context and use approximations for naturalness. Practice common questions and answers aloud to internalize the pattern.

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