Introducing “O’clock” Time in Chinese

In Chinese, telling time is an essential skill. One of the basic concepts is expressing “o’clock” time in Chinese. And trust me, as long as you know the basic numbers, say, how to count 1-12 in Chinese, it is very easy.

In Chinese, when you want to say it’s a certain hour, you start with the number representing that hour, followed by the word “点钟” (diǎn zhōng), which means “o’clock.” Basically, it follows this structure as below:

Number of the hour (1-12) + Chinese word “点钟” (diǎn zhōng) = o’clock

“O’Clock” Time Vocabulary in Chinese

一点钟 (yī diǎn zhōng)
This means “one o’clock.” When it’s 1 o’clock, you say “一点钟”.

两点钟 (liǎng diǎn zhōng) 
When the clock strikes 2, you say “两点钟”.

三点钟 (sān diǎn zhōng)
At 3 o’clock, you’ll say “三点钟”.

四点钟 (sì diǎn zhōng)
It’s 4 o’clock? Easy! Just say “四点钟”.

五点钟 (wǔ diǎn zhōng)
When it’s time for the clock to show 5, say “五点钟”.

六点钟 (liù diǎn zhōng) 
For 6 o’clock, simply say “六点钟”.

七点钟 (qī diǎn zhōng)
When the clock strikes 7, it’s “七点钟”.

八点钟 (bā diǎn zhōng)
At 8 o’clock, say “八点钟”.

九点钟 (jiǔ diǎn zhōng)
For 9 o’clock, say “九点钟”.

十点钟 (shí diǎn zhōng)
When it’s 10 o’clock, say “十点钟”.

十一点钟 (shí yī diǎn zhōng)
At 11 o’clock, you say “十一点钟”.

十二点钟 (shí èr diǎn zhōng)
And at noon or midnight, it’s “十二点钟”.

Remember, these are the basics.

O’Clock of the Day

As there are 24 hours in a day: 12 during the day and 12 at night, we can use two Chinese words to refer to the a.m and the p.m – 早上 and 晚上.

早上 zǎo shang   a.m.

下午 xià wǔ   p.m.

Let’s look at some examples:

9:00 am  早上九点钟

11:00 am 早上十一点钟

1:00 pm  下午一点钟

4:00 pm  下午四点钟

Practice saying the hours out loud to get comfortable with them. Soon, you’ll be able to effortlessly express “o’clock” time in Chinese.

Learn O’Clock Time with Chinese Flashcards

It’s perfect to use time o’clock flashcards, esp. 3-part flashcards, to learn about time. O’clock images, Chinese words, plus pinyin, can help a student learn about all the hours easily by heart.

So, the next time someone asks you what time it is in Chinese, you’ll confidently reply with the correct hour followed by “点钟” (diǎn zhōng), indicating “o’clock.” Keep practicing, and soon telling time in Chinese will be a breeze!

Resources You May Find Useful:

• Learn Chinese Vocabulary – Months and Weekdays
• Months-Weekdays Montessori 3-Part Chinese Flashcards
• How to say “Monday, Tuesday…” and Count Weeks in Chinese
• Why is Learning Chinese Numbers Important
• Learning Chinese Numbers Booklet
• Numbers 1-10 in Chinese Practice Workbook
• Chinese Numbers 1-100 Count and Trace Flashcards

If you find it useful, share it!