Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

talkiNG aBoUt CloCk time aNd CaleNdar time

49.1

Pattern 2

差 chà x 分 fēn x 点/點 diǎn (钟/鐘 zhōng)

(lit. ‘lacking x minutes, x o’clock’)

6:50 差十分七点(钟)

差十分七點(鐘)

chà shífēn qī diǎn (zhōng)

7:45 差一刻八点(钟)

差一刻八點(鐘)

chà yī kè bā diǎn (zhōng)

49.1.4 indicating a.m. and p.m.

In Mandarin, instead of the two-way distinction between a m. and p.m., time is categorized as

follows:

morning 早上 zǎoshang

(the early hours, approximately 6–8 or 9 a m.) or

早晨 zǎochén

before noon 上午 shàngwǔ

(approximately 8 or 9 a.m. until noon)

midday 中午 zhōngwǔ

(12 noon or the time around noon.)

afternoon 下午 xiàwǔ

(approximately 1 p m. to 6 p.m.)

evening 晚上 wǎnshang

(beginning approximately 6 p m.)

midnight – middle of the night 半夜 bànyè

(approximately midnight to 3 a m.)

These expressions occur at the beginning of the clock time phrase:

下午三点钟

下午三點鐘

xiàwǔ sān diǎn zhōng

3 o’clock in the afternoon (3 p.m.)

早上六点半

早上六點半

zǎoshang liù diǎn bàn

6:30 in the morning (6:30 a m.)

上午十点

上午十點

shàngwǔ shí diǎn

10 in the morning (10 a.m.)

晚上七点三刻

晚上七點三刻

wǎnshang qī diǎn sānkè

7:45 in the evening (7:45 p m.)

半夜两点

半夜兩點

bànyè liǎng diǎn

2 o’clock in the morning