Donate

Level A · Beginner

What time is it?

Xiaoyu has a class at eight and cannot find her watch. Chen Hao reassures her, then suggests dinner.

What you learn to do

  • asking and telling the time
  • saying how long something takes
  • saying you are in a hurry
  • arranging to meet in the evening

  1. Xiaoyu

    陈浩，现在几点？

    Chén Hào, xiànzài jǐ diǎn ?

    Chen Hao, what time is it?

  2. Chen Hao

    七点半。怎么了？

    Qī diǎn bàn. Zěnme le ?

    Half past seven. Why, what is wrong?

  3. Xiaoyu

    我八点有课。

    Wǒ bā diǎn yǒu kè.

    I have a class at eight.

  4. Chen Hao

    那你快走吧，还有半个小时。

    Nà nǐ kuài zǒu ba, hái yǒu bàn gè xiǎoshí.

    Then off you go, you still have half an hour.

  5. Xiaoyu

    从这儿走路要多长时间？

    Cóng zhèr zǒulù yào duō cháng shíjiān ?

    How long does it take on foot from here?

  6. Chen Hao

    二十分钟，不远。

    Èrshí fēnzhōng, bù yuǎn.

    Twenty minutes, it is not far.

  7. Xiaoyu

    好，我现在就走。你今天几点回家？

    Hǎo, wǒ xiànzài jiù zǒu. Nǐ jīntiān jǐ diǎn huí jiā ?

    Right, I am off now. What time are you home today?

  8. Chen Hao

    五点。晚上一起吃饭吧。

    Wǔ diǎn. Wǎnshang yīqǐ chīfàn ba.

    Five. Shall we eat together this evening?

  9. Xiaoyu

    好的，六点半见！

    Hǎo de, liù diǎn bàn jiàn !

    Yes, see you at half past six!

Vocabulary to remember

  • 现在 xiànzài now, at present
  • 点 diǎn o'clock, point
  • 半 bàn half
  • 课 kè lesson, class
  • 小时 xiǎoshí hour
  • 走路 zǒulù to walk, to go on foot
  • 时间 shíjiān time, length of time
  • 分钟 fēnzhōng minute
  • 回 huí to return, time (occurrence)
  • 见 jiàn to see, to meet

Language points

几点 and not 多少点

Chinese has two words for "how many". 几 expects a small number, one you can count on your fingers: 几点, 几个人, 几岁. 多少 expects any number at all, a price or a number: 多少钱, 号码是多少. A clock face having only twelve figures, the time is always asked with 几.

Telling the time: 点, 分, 半

The order runs from the large to the small. 七点半 for half past seven, 七点二十分 for seven twenty, 七点一刻 for a quarter past seven. The word 分 is dropped when the figure is clear. Watch out for 两点 for two o'clock: the number 二 is never said before 点.

A time and a length of time are two different words

English says "two o'clock" and "for two hours" with the same word for hours. Chinese does not: 两点 is the moment, 两个小时 is the duration. In the same way 一分 is the minute on the dial and 一分钟 the minute you spend. The 钟 and the 个 mark the duration; leaving them out changes the meaning of the sentence.

Share this page