Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 16

现在几点What time is it now

Xiànzài jǐ diǎn

Time expressions: 现在 / 点 / 分 / 时间. Times of day: 早 / 早上 / 上午 / 中午 / 晚 / 晚上. Introduces persona 文山.

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现在几点— What time is it?

  1. 文山白bái月yuè, 现xiàn在zài几jǐ点diǎn?Bai Yue, what time is it?
  2. 白月现xiàn在zài七qī点diǎn.It's 7.
  3. 文山七qī点diǎn? 早zǎo上shàng还hái是shì晚wǎn上shàng?7? Morning or evening?
  4. 白月晚wǎn上shàng!Evening!
  5. 文山晚wǎn上shàng七qī点diǎn了le! 我wǒ去qù吃chī晚wǎn饭fàn.It's 7pm! I'm going to dinner.
  6. 白月我wǒ也yě去qù!I'll come too!
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中午吃饭— Lunch

  1. 白月文wén山shān, 中zhōng午wǔ我wǒ们men吃chī饭fàn吗ma?Wen Shan, eating at noon?
  2. 文山中zhōng午wǔ十shí二èr点diǎn吃chī! 你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什shén么me?Yes, 12 noon! What do you want?
  3. 白月我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī中zhōng国guó菜cài.I'd like Chinese food.
  4. 文山好hǎo! 中zhōng午wǔ见jiàn.Good! See you at noon.
  5. 白月一yí会huì儿er见jiàn!See you soon!
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现xiàn在zài

nounnow

点diǎn

measure wordo'clock

分fēn

measure wordminute

时shí间jiān

nountime

时shí候hòu

nountime; moment

早zǎo

adjectiveearly; morning

早zǎo上shàng

nounmorning

上shàng午wǔ

nounmorning (am)

中zhōng午wǔ

nounnoon

晚wǎn

adjectivelate; evening

晚wǎn上shàng

nounevening; night

文wén山shān

pn.Wen Shan (persona — male university student)

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现

now; present (in 现在)

现在 xiànzài — now实现 shíxiàn — realise; achieve
白bái

white

白月 Bái Yuè — Bai Yue (persona — design student)小白 Xiǎo Bái — Xiao Bai (persona — classmate)白文 Bái Wén — Bai Wen (persona — American grad student studying TCM and Chinese culture)
月yuè

month / moon (revisit Bk1)

白月 Bái Yuè — Bai Yue (persona — design student)朋月 Péng Yuè — Peng Yue (persona)王月 Wáng Yuè — Wang Yue (persona — anxious-but-curious software engineer with insomnia)
早zǎo

early; morning

早上 zǎoshang — morning早饭 zǎo fàn — breakfast早睡 zǎo shuì — sleep early
晚wǎn

late; evening

晚上 wǎnshang — evening; night晚饭 wǎn fàn — dinner
午

noon

上午 shàngwǔ — morning (am)中午 zhōngwǔ — noon下午 xiàwǔ — afternoon
分fēn

minute; divide

大部分 dàbùfen — most of (a group)十分 shífēn — very (formal / written register)分钟 fēnzhōng — minute
时

time

时间 shíjiān — time时候 shíhou — time; moment小时 xiǎoshí — hour
间

(in 时间)

时间 shíjiān — time中间 zhōngjiān — middle房间 fángjiān — room
候

time; moment (in 时候 / 当时)

时候 shíhou — time; moment
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点

diǎno'clock; dotWriting

9 strokestop-bottom

分

fēnminute; divideWriting

4 strokestop-bottom

时

shítimeWriting

7 strokesleft-rightradical 日

上

shàngup; onWriting

3 strokesstandalone

早

zǎoearly; morningRecognition

6 strokestop-bottom

中

zhōngmiddle (revisit ch4)Recognition

4 strokesstandalone

晚

wǎnlate; eveningRecognition

11 strokesleft-rightradical 日

午

wǔnoonRecognition

4 strokestop-bottom

间

jiān(in 时间)Recognition

7 strokesenclosureradical 门

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Telling time — 几点 / 现在几点

Explanation

Chinese time format: X 点 (X o'clock) + X 分 (X minutes). Examples: 三点 (3:00), 三点半 (3:30), 三点十五 (3:15). Question: 现在几点? — "What time is it?" Answer: 现在 X 点 X 分. Time-of-day prefixes: 早上 / 上午 / 中午 / 晚上 (e.g. 早上七点 = 7am).

Examples

  • 现在几点?What time is it?
  • 现在三点半.It's 3:30.
  • 早上七点起来.Get up at 7am.
  • 中午十二点吃饭.Eat at noon (12).

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