Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

Clock time

49.1

2:02 两点零二分

兩點零二分

liǎng diǎn líng èr fēn

To indicate half past the hour, use 半 bàn.

6:30 六点半

六點半

liù diǎn bàn

The phrases 一刻 yī kè ‘one quarter’ and 三刻 sān kè ‘three quarters’ can be used to express

a quarter after or a quarter to and 45 minutes after the hour.

7:15 七点一刻(钟)

七點一刻(鐘)

qī diǎn yī kè (zhōng)

7:45 七点三刻(钟)

七點三刻(鐘)

qī diǎn sān kè (zhōng)

49.1.3.3 telling time specifying ‘minutes to’ and ‘minutes past’ the hour
过/過 guò ‘pass’ introduces minutes past the hour. When reciting time with 过/過 guò, the
order of information is as follows. 钟/鐘 zhōng is optional and is often omitted.

x hour past x minutes

x 点/點 diǎn 过/過 guò x 分 fēn 钟/鐘 zhōng

3:10 三点过十分(钟)

三點過十分(鐘)

sān diǎn guò shí fēn (zhōng)

4:27 四点过二十七分(钟)

四點過二十七分(鐘)

sì diǎn guò èr shí qī fēn (zhōng)

7:15 七点过一刻(钟)

七點過一刻(鐘)

qī diǎn guò yī kè (zhōng)

7:45 七点过三刻(钟)

七點過三刻(鐘)

qī diǎn guò sān kè (zhōng)

Note 过/過 guò cannot be used with 半 bàn ‘half.’

差 chà ‘lack’ introduces minutes before the hour. The ‘差 chà + minutes’ phrase can occur

either before or after the hour phrase, as follows. 钟/鐘 zhōng is optional and is often omitted.

Pattern 1

x 点/點 diǎn 差 chà x 分 fēn (钟/鐘 zhōng)

(lit. ‘x o’clock lacking x minutes’)

6:50 七点差十分(钟)

七點差十分(鐘)

qī diǎn chà shífēn (zhōng)

7:45 八点差一刻(钟)

八點差一刻(鐘)

bā diǎn chà yī kè (zhōng)