時候 / 时候 Time

Date format

When telling time in Chinese, always begin with the largest unit and end with the smallest unit. This means year → month → day → time of day (morning, evening, etc) → hour → minute.

Calendar

China uses the Gregorian calendar. However, the historic Chinese lunar calendar still has cultural significance. Both calendars have twelve months per year and follow the same simple naming system.
二〇一十四年 十月 十二號号/日 星期天 èrlíngyīshísìnián shíyuè shíèrháo/rì xīngqītiān (2014 October Sunday 12)

In Chinese, each number of the year is uttered. English reads 2014 as two-thousand thirteen. However, Chinese reads 二〇一四 (2014) as èr-líng-yī-sì (two-zero-one-four).

月 yuè is both a noun and a measure word for month. Thus, there is no need for an additional measure word in 幾 月 jī yuè which month? Also, months are named using 月 yuè.

The first month of the year (January in the Gregorian calendar) is 一月 yīyuè (one-month); next is 二月 èryuè (two-month, or February) and so on, with the twelfth month being 十二月 shí'èryuè (twelve-month, or December).

Use 號号 háo when speaking Chinese, but use 日 rì when writing Chinese. Like months and weekdays, naming the date is simple and numerical. The first date of the month 一號号 yīháo; the second is 二號号 èrháo; and so on. Thus, March 28^th is 三月 二十八號号 sānyuè èrshíbāháo. 日 rì is used the same way as 號号 háo, except only in writing: 一日 yīrì; the second is 二日 èrrì

星期 xīngqī is normally used in speech and writing for weekdays. However, there are other ways of telling the weekday. 周 zhōu is used strictly in text, especially formal writing. 礼拜 lĭbài, on the other hand, is used in relatively informal speech.

The week begins on Monday. Weekdays have a numerical system just like months, except for Sunday. The first day of the week (Monday) is 星期一 xīngqīyī; next is 星期二 xīngqīèr (Tuesday); and so on.

Sunday does not follow the numerical pattern. There are two ways to say Sunday: 星期天 xīngqītiān and 星期日 xīngqīrì. 星期天 Xīngqītiān is used more when speaking, while 星期日 xīngqīrì is used more in writing.

礼拜 lĭbài is an informal, oral way of naming weekdays: 礼拜一 lĭbàiyī (Monday); 礼拜二 lĭbài'èr (Tuesday); and so on. Sunday is 礼拜日 lĭbàirì or 礼拜天 lĭbàitiān.

Weekday (writing only). 週周 zhōu is a formal, written way of naming weekday: 週周一 zhōuyī (Monday); 週周二 zhōu'èr (Tuesday); and so on. Sunday is 週周日 zhōurì. 週周天 Zhōutiān is not used.

Below is a chart showing the different ways of communicating the weekday.

Time of day

In Chinese, the day is roughly divided into five sections

Clock

點(鐘)点(钟) diǎn(zhōng) means o'clock, point, dot, points on the clock. When telling the hour, the 鐘钟 zhōng is usually omitted. Telling the hour is very easy: 一點(鐘)一点(钟) yīdiǎn(zhōng) for one o'clock; 兩點(鐘)两点(钟) liǎngdiǎn(zhōng) for two o'clock, note that 二 èr is not used; 三點(鐘)三点(钟) sāndiǎn(zhōng) for three o'clock.

When you tell time in English, you add an "oh" if the minute is less than ten. For example, you write 1:01 and say one oh one, as opposed to 1:1 and one one. The same rule follows in Chinese. You interject a 〇 líng so that the minute is represented by two digits: for example, 一點 〇一分一点 〇一分 yīdiǎn língyīfèn (1:01, one oh one) is correct, instead of 一點 一分一点 一分 yīdiǎn yīfèn (1:1, one one). The exception is 一點 十分一点 十分 yīdiǎn shífèn, which is fine.

When the time is told using two digits, then 分 fèn is optional. For example, 一點 〇一一点 〇一 yīdiǎn língyī or 一點 〇二一点 〇二 yīdiǎn língèr are both acceptable.

半 bàn refers to a half hour when used to tell time. For example: 一點 半一点 半 yīdiǎn bàn; 二點 半二点 半 èrdiǎn bàn; and so on.

Means quarter-hour.

查 chá is like the English 'til. Similarly, 查 chá is only used when the time is closer to the coming hour (instead of the past hour). Therefore, 查 chá is only used with 刻 kè (¼ hour) as 查一刻查一刻 cháyīkè (quarter 'til) or 查兩刻查两刻 cháliǎngkè (two quarters 'til). Also, 查 chá is never used with 半 bàn (½ hour).

Frequency

• 平常

• 常常

• 有的时候

The construction for 年年 and 天天 does not work for other characters. 星期星期 does not mean every week. It is nonsense.

Past, present, future

明 míng is a sun and a moon together, symbolizing its meanings: next, as the moon and sun together complete a cycle; bright, as the sunlight and moonlight together; and clear-sighted, from the meaning bright.

Similar but different: 今點今点 and 現在现在 have similar but different meanings. 今點今点 has an immediacy referring to the immediate time at hand (right now). 現在现在 refers to the present time, nowadays (right now vs a more general now).

Asking time

jinnian shi na nian?
When asking about the year, use na; for all other units of date and time, use ji.

幾 / 几 jǐ
which?

今天是幾月幾號/日? / 今天是几月几号/日?
jīntiān shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào/rì?
(today is which month and which day?)
What is the date today?

今天是九月二十六號/日 / 今天是九月二十六号/日
jīntiān shì jiǔ yuè èrshíliù hào/rì?
Today is September 26th

When asking and responding about the current date, the meaning can still be inferred if 今天 jīntiān or even 今天是 jīntiān shì is omitted.

星期幾 / 星期几 xīngqījǐ?
(weekday which?)
What day of the week is it?

現在幾點 / 现在几点 xiànzài jǐ diǎn？
what time is it?
This is the standard, common way to ask the current time.