Telling Time

Telling Time

Words used for telling time:

点           分           秒           半           刻           差

Time on the hour:

1:00        一点钟

2:00        两点钟 or 二点钟

3:00        三点钟

11:00     十一点钟

12:00     十二点钟

Format …. 点 …. 分 （钟）

3:50        三点五十分（钟）       

4:27        四点二十七分（钟）

When time is recited as digital time, if the number of minutes is smaller than ten, minutes may optionally begin with 零

2:02        两点零二分

To indicate half past the hour, use 半

6:30        六点半

12:30     十二点半

The phrases 一刻 ‘one quarter’ and 三刻 ‘three quarters’ can be used to express a quarter after or a quarter to and 45 minutes after the hour.

7:15        七点一刻

7:45        七点三刻

差introduces minutes before the hour.

6:50        差十分七点

1.42        差十八分两点

Some examples with two or more ways of reciting time:

8.15        八点十五分

                八点一刻

11.30     十一点三十分

                十一点半

12.45     十二点四十五分

                十二点三刻

                差十五分一点

                差一刻一点

In Chinese, instead of the two-way distinction between am and pm, time is categorized as follow:

Morning (early hours, 6-8 or 9 am)                           早上

Before noon （8 or 9am until noon）                    上午

Midday (12 noon or the time around noon)         中午

Afternoon (1 pm to 6 pm)                                            下午

Evening                (beginning approximately 6pm)                               晚上

Midnight – middle of night (midnight to 3am)     半夜