Telling Time

To ask what time it is, the simplest question is jǐ diǎn 几点 followed by a time word if needed. Asking for minutes uses jǐ fēn 几分 and for seconds jǐ miǎo 几秒. These short questions rely on jǐ 几 which means "how many" or "what" in contexts like time.

Hours are expressed by stating the number followed by diǎn 点 which marks the hour. Mandarin uses the 12-hour clock in speech, and you can add shàngwǔ 上午 or xiàwǔ 下午 to clarify morning or afternoon if needed. Without a period marker, listeners assume the most relevant time from context.

Minutes are stated by adding fēn 分 after the number of minutes. To specify minutes past the hour, give the hour first then the minutes. For times exactly on the hour, you can omit minutes or say zhěng 整 to emphasize the round time. Minutes under ten are normally stated with the digit, not zero-padding.

Seconds are expressed by number plus miǎo 秒. They are less commonly mentioned unless precise timing is needed, such as for an event or cooking. You state seconds after minutes if giving a full timestamp. Asking for seconds uses jǐ miǎo 几秒 in the same pattern as minutes.

Half an hour is commonly expressed as bàn 半 which means "half" and attaches naturally after the hour. Quarters can be said as yí kè 一刻 for a quarter past, and sometimes sān kè 三刻 for three quarters, though quarters are less frequent in everyday speech than halves and minutes. These expressions come from traditional dividing of the hour into four parts.

AM and PM are marked by time-of-day words like shàngwǔ 上午 (morning), xiàwǔ 下午 (afternoon), zǎoshang 早上 (early morning), and wǎnshang 晚上 (evening). They precede the hour to set the period. For formal contexts, these markers clarify intent; in casual speech they can be omitted if context is clear.

Duration is expressed by stating the amount of time followed by a unit like fēnzhōng 分钟 (minutes), xiǎoshí 小时 (hours), or miǎo 秒 (seconds). To say "for X time," you can use dānɡ 当 or simply place the duration before the verb. Mandarin focuses on the unit and number rather than a preposition like "for."

Common expressions for moments in time include shíkè 时刻 for a precise moment, shíjiān 时间 for time in general, and phrases like línshí 临时 for temporary or last-minute timing. These nouns can be combined with numbers and measure words when needed to talk about appointments, deadlines, and durations more exactly.

Mandarin tells time by stating the hour with diǎn 点, minutes with fēn 分, and optionally seconds with miǎo 秒. Use jǐ 几 to ask for time, and add AM/PM markers like shàngwǔ 上午 to clarify. Half and quarter hours are expressed with bàn 半 and kè 刻, and durations use units like fēnzhōng 分钟. Practice these patterns aloud to get the natural rhythm of time expressions.