時候 / 时候 Time
By Levi Clancy for Student Reader on
updated
- 中文 Chinese
- Chinese studies
- Communication
- Country and language
- 中國 China populations
- 代名詞 Pronouns
- 名字 Names
- 商店 Stores
- 天氣 / 天气 weather
- 季節 / 季节 Seasons
- 學校 / 学校 School
- 家人 Family
- 工作 Work
- 數字 Numbers
- 旅行 Travel
- 是 shì 、很 hěn 、得 dě
- 時候 / 时候 Time
- 普通话: Activities and invitations
- 普通话一 Mandarin 1
- 普通话二 Mandarin 2
- 漢字 / 汉字 hànzì
- 生日 Birthday and age
- 色 Color
- 衣服 Clothes
- 錢 / 钱 Money
- 飯館 / 饭馆 Restaurant
- 餐 Meals
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)
year | month | day | weekday |
年 nián | 月 yuè | 號号 háo 日 rì | 星期 xīngqī 週周 zhōu 礼拜 lĭbài |
年
nián
year
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
month
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).
Gregorian | 普通话 | pīnyīn |
January | 一月 | yīyuè |
February | 二月 | èryuè |
March | 三月 | sānyuè |
April | 四月 | sìyuè |
Gregorian | 普通话 | pīnyīn |
May | 五月 | wǔyuè |
June | 六月 | liùyuè |
July | 七月 | qīyuè |
August | 八月 | bāyuè |
Gregorian | 普通话 | pīnyīn |
September | 九月 | jiǔyuè |
October | 十月 | shíyuè |
November | 十一月 | shíyīyuè |
December | 十二月 | shí'èryuè |
號
号
háo
date (day)
日
rì
date (day)
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 28th 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
weekday
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
weekday (informal spoken)
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.
週
周
zhōu
weekday (formal written)
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.
週末
周末
zhōumò
weekend (spoken and written)
Below is a chart showing the different ways of communicating the weekday.
English | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Weekend |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written & spoken | 星期一 xīngqīyī | 星期二 xīngqīèr | 星期三 xīngqīsān | 星期四 xīngqīsì | 星期五 xīngqīwǔ | 星期六 xīngqīliù | 星期天 xīngqītiān 星期日 xīngqīrì | 週末 / 周末 zhōumò |
Spoken | 礼拜一 lǐbàiyī | 礼拜二 lǐbài’èr | 礼拜三 lǐbàisān | 礼拜四 lǐbàisì | 礼拜五 lǐbàiwǔ | 礼拜六 lǐbàiliù | 礼拜日 lǐbàirì 礼拜天 lǐbàitiān | |
Written | 週周一 zhōuyī | 週周二 zhōu‘èr | 週周三 zhōusān | 週周四 zhōusì | 週周五 zhōuwǔ | 週周六 zhōuliù | 週周日 zhōurì |
Time of day
In Chinese, the day is roughly divided into five sections
morning | noon | afternoon | evening | midnight | |
早上 | 上午 | 中午 | 下午 | 晚上 | 午夜 |
早上
zǎoshang
(n) morning; a.m.
中午
zhōngwǔ
(n) noon
下午
xiàwǔ
(n) afternoon
午夜
wǔyè
(n) midnight
Clock
點(鐘)
点(钟)
diǎn(zhōng)
o'clock
(n) point, dot
(v) to point
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.
分
fèn
minute
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
half / half hour
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.
刻
kè
quarter hour
Means quarter-hour.
1:15 | 1:30 | 1:45 |
一點 一刻一点 一刻 yīdiǎn yīkè | 一點 兩刻一点 两刻 yīdiǎn liǎngkè | 一點 三刻一点 三刻 yīdiǎn sānkè |
查
chá
'til / less than
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).
# minutes 'til # o'clock | 查#分 #點查#分 #点 chá#fèn #diǎn | #點 查#分#点 查#分 #diǎn chá#fèn |
---|---|---|
quarter 'til # o'clock | 查一刻 #點查一刻 #点 cháyīkè #diǎn | #點 查一刻#点 查一刻 #diǎn cháyīkè |
half 'til # o'clock | 查兩刻 #點查两刻 #点 cháliǎngkè #diǎn | #點 查兩刻_点 查两刻 #diǎn cháliǎngkè |
Frequency
平常
常常
有的时候
年年
every year
天天
every day
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
上
shàng
above; prior
下
xià
below; upcoming
昨
zuó
previous
今
jīn
current
明
míng
next
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.
Time | Previous | Current | Next |
---|---|---|---|
Year | 去年 | 今年 | 明年 |
Month | 上個月上个月 | 這個月这个月 | 下個月下个月 |
Week | 上(個)星期上(个)星期 | 這個星期这个星期 | 下(個)星期下(个)星期 |
Weekend | zhegezhoumo | ||
Day | 昨天 | 今天 | 明天 |
今點
今点
jīndian
right now
現在
现在
xiànzài
nowadays, now
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.