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báiyuè, xiànzàidiǎn?Bai Yue, what time is it?
  2. 白月xiànzàidiǎn.It's 7.
  3. 文山diǎn? zǎoshàngháishìwǎnshàng?7? Morning or evening?
  4. 白月wǎnshàng!Evening!
  5. 文山wǎnshàngdiǎnle! chīwǎnfàn.It's 7pm! I'm going to dinner.
  6. 白月!I'll come too!
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中午吃饭— Lunch

  1. 白月wénshān, zhōngmenchīfànma?Wen Shan, eating at noon?
  2. 文山zhōngshíèrdiǎnchī! xiǎngchīshénme?Yes, 12 noon! What do you want?
  3. 白月xiǎngchīzhōngguócài.I'd like Chinese food.
  4. 文山hǎo! zhōngjiàn.Good! See you at noon.
  5. 白月huìerjiàn!See you soon!
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xiànzài

nounnow

diǎn

measure wordo'clock

fēn

measure wordminute

shíjiān

nountime

shíhòu

nountime; moment

zǎo

adjectiveearly; morning

zǎoshàng

nounmorning

shàng

nounmorning (am)

zhōng

nounnoon

wǎn

adjectivelate; evening

wǎnshàng

nounevening; night

wénshān

pn.Wen Shan (persona — male university student)

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now; present (in 现在)

现在 xiànzài — now实现 shíxiàn — realise; achieve
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)
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)
zǎo

early; morning

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

late; evening

晚上 wǎnshang — evening; night晚饭 wǎn fàn — dinner

noon

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

minute; divide

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

time

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

(in 时间)

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

time; moment (in 时候 / 当时)

时候 shíhou — time; moment
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diǎno'clock; dotWriting

9 strokestop-bottom

fēnminute; divideWriting

4 strokestop-bottom

shítimeWriting

7 strokesleft-rightradical 日

shàngup; onWriting

3 strokesstandalone

zǎoearly; morningRecognition

6 strokestop-bottom

zhōngmiddle (revisit ch4)Recognition

4 strokesstandalone

wǎnlate; eveningRecognition

11 strokesleft-rightradical 日

noonRecognition

4 strokestop-bottom

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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