How to Tell Time in Chinese

Telling time is useful for everyday Chinese. Children can use it to talk about their daily routines, from getting up in the morning to going to bed at night. It also gives them useful number practice.

The good news is that if your child can count to twelve, they already know most of the numbers they need. This guide starts with o’clock times and builds up step by step to minutes, half past, quarters, and times of day. It ends with daily routine phrases, a classic clock game, and the most common mistakes.

The key words for telling time

You only need a few words to get started. Start with the first three, then add the others as your child is ready.

O’clock times: number + 点

Saying the hour is simple. Put the number before 点 (diǎn). You can also add 钟 (zhōng): 点钟. Both mean “o’clock.” In everyday speech, 点 is often enough.

One important thing to remember: 2:00 is 两点, not 二点. You will also see 两 before measure words such as 个 and 本. Our guide to Chinese numbers for kids explains when to use 两 and when to use 二.

Adding minutes with 分

For minutes, say the hour with 点, then the number of minutes, then 分 (fēn).

For minutes from 1 to 9, add 零 (líng) first:

三点零五 = 3:05.

You can often leave 分 out in everyday speech:

三点二十 is perfectly natural.

When you say only the hour, you can use 点 or 点钟. When you add minutes or 半, use 点:

Half past with 半

For half past, add 半 (bàn) after the hour. It’s one of the easiest patterns, so it’s a great second step after o’clock.

Quarter hours with 刻

刻 (kè) means a quarter of an hour, or 15 minutes.

For 30 minutes, use 半: 三点半 = 3:30.

You don’t need 刻 for every quarter hour. Saying 八点十五分 for 8:15 is also perfectly fine.

Saying “quarter to” with 差

差 (chà) means “short of” or “to.” You can use it for times just before the hour.

For beginners, 五点四十五分 is the easiest form to use. Quarters and 差 are a later step, and that’s fine.

Morning, afternoon, and evening

Chinese commonly uses a time-of-day word before the time, such as 早上, 上午, 下午, or 晚上.

早上 and 上午 overlap a little. Both work for 9 a.m., for example. Don’t overthink it. Children pick up the feel of each word from daily use.

You will also see the 24-hour clock on things like train tickets and timetables. In everyday conversation, people commonly use the 12-hour style together with words such as 上午, 下午, and 晚上.

Asking and answering “What time is it?”

You can also ask when something happens. Just put 几点 where the time goes.

Time in your child’s day

Here’s the most useful pattern for children: in Chinese, the time normally comes before the action. Practise it with your child’s real routine.

Clock time or length of time?

A clock time and a length of time are said differently in Chinese. The table shows the difference.

Notice 个 in 三个小时. You use a measure word when you say “three hours.” Our guide to Chinese measure words shows how these work.

Once your child can say the time, the natural next step is dates and days of the week. Our guide to saying the year, month, and date in Chinese covers both.

How to teach telling time in Chinese

Step 1 — Start with o’clock. Use a toy clock or a paper plate clock. Move the hour hand and say the time together: 三点, 四点, 五点.

Step 2 — Ask, don’t tell. Move the hand and ask 现在几点？ Let your child answer. Asking your child to remember the time is more useful than simply repeating it.

Step 3 — Add half past. Once o’clock is easy, add 半. Then count minutes in fives around the clock face.

Step 4 — Use real routines. Ask 你几点起床？ at breakfast and 几点了？ before bedtime. Short, frequent practice beats long lessons.

Step 5 — Match the clock and the words. Three-part cards make this easy: children match the clock picture with the Chinese time, then use the control card to check their answer.

Play “老狼老狼几点了？”

This classic Chinese children’s game is similar to “What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?” One child is the wolf (老狼, lǎo láng). The other children call:

The wolf answers with a time, such as 三点了, and the children take that many steps. When the wolf calls 天黑了 (tiān hēi le, “It’s dark!”), everyone runs. The rules can vary, so play it in whatever way works for your group. For younger children, the game turns time practice into listening and movement.

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: Saying 二点 for two o’clock. Use 两点. It’s the most common time mistake for beginners.

Mistake 2: Putting the time at the end. 我起床七点 sounds wrong. The time goes before the action: 我七点起床.

Mistake 3: Using 点钟 before 半 or minutes. 点钟 means “o’clock.” When you go on to say minutes or 半, use 点 on its own: not 三点钟半, but 三点半.

Mistake 4: Counting quarters for half past. For 30 minutes, use 半: 三点半. Save 刻 for 15 and 45.

Mistake 5: Mixing up 点 and 小时. 三点 is a time on the clock. 三个小时 is three hours long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick review

• Say the hour, then 点: 三点 is 3:00. 三点钟 also means three o’clock.
• Two o’clock is 两点, not 二点.
• Add minutes with 分 (两点二十分) and half past with 半 (九点半).
• 刻 means a quarter: 一刻 is :15, 三刻 is :45. Quarters and 差 can wait.
• Time-of-day words go first: 上午十一点, 下午四点, 晚上八点.
• The time comes before the action: 我七点起床.

Practice telling time

Ready to practise? The Time O’Clock Chinese Montessori 3-Part Flashcards let children match clock pictures with Chinese times and check their answers with the control cards. They come in two sizes for small hands.

For more number practice, the Chinese Numbers Booklet connects numbers with everyday topics such as dates and time.

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