Tell Time and Talk About Schedules in Mandarin Chinese
Learn to say clock times in Mandarin and use 在, 从, and 到 to talk about when classes, work, and events start and end.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Telling time in Mandarin is built from a small set of pieces: 点 for the hour, 分 for minutes, and 半 for half past. Once you can say a clock time, you can place it in a sentence with 在 (at), and you can describe a span with 从...到... (from...to...). This lesson keeps you focused on clock times and simple schedules, not daily routines in general. You will practice asking what time it is, saying when something starts, and saying how long something lasts.
By the end, you can…
- ask and answer what time it is in Mandarin
- say that an event starts at a specific clock time using 在
- describe a schedule span using 从...到...
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
现在几点？
What time is it now?
xiàn zài jǐ diǎn?
The standard way to ask the time. 几 is used because the answer is expected to be a small number, typically under ten.
现在九点。
It is nine o'clock now.
xiàn zài jiǔ diǎn.
A simple time statement. 点 means o'clock and follows the number directly.
课九点开始。
The class starts at nine.
kè jiǔ diǎn kāi shǐ.
In casual speech, 在 can be left out before a time. 开始 means to start.
我从九点到十一点上课。
I have class from nine to eleven.
wǒ cóng jiǔ diǎn dào shí yī diǎn shàng kè.
从...到... marks the start and end of a time span.
课九点半结束。
The class ends at nine thirty.
kè jiǔ diǎn bàn jié shù.
半 means half past. 结束 means to end or finish.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To give a clock time, say the hour plus 点, then the minutes plus 分: 三点 (3:00), 三点十分 (3:10), 三点半 (3:30). To say an event happens at that time, put 在 before the time: 我在八点上课 (I have class at eight). In everyday speech, 在 is often dropped: 我八点上课. For a span, use 从 A 到 B: 从两点到四点 (from two to four). You can also ask 几点开始？ (What time does it start?) and answer with just the time: 九点.
When to use it
Use 在 when you want to be clear that the time is the specific moment of an action: 会议在十点开始 (The meeting starts at ten). Use 从...到... when you name both a start and an end: 我从九点到十一点上课 (I have class from nine to eleven). If you only give a start time, 从 is not needed: 课九点开始. For a duration, use 从...到... or say the length separately, for example 上两个小时的课 (have a two-hour class). Keep 点 for clock time and do not use it for durations.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
请问，现在几点？
Excuse me, what time is it now?qǐng wèn, xiàn zài jǐ diǎn?现在八点半。
It is eight thirty now.xiàn zài bā diǎn bàn.谢谢。今天的课几点开始？
Thanks. What time does today's class start?xiè xie. jīn tiān de kè jǐ diǎn kāi shǐ?课从九点到十一点。
The class is from nine to eleven.kè cóng jiǔ diǎn dào shí yī diǎn.A little context goes a long way
In mainland China, the 24-hour clock is common on schedules, trains, and phones, so you may see 14:00 written as 十四点. In speech, people often use the 12-hour clock with 上午 (morning), 下午 (afternoon), or 晚上 (evening) to avoid confusion: 下午三点. When asking a stranger for the time, 请问 (excuse me) makes the question more polite.
One thing to watch for
Saying 在九点开始 for a schedule when you mean a simple start time, or using 点 for a duration like 两点小时.
Try this instead: For a simple start time, 课九点开始 is natural, and 在九点开始 is also correct when you want to stress the exact time. For duration, do not use 点; say 两个小时 (two hours), as in 我上两个小时的课.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'It is three fifteen' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
现在三点十五分。
Use the hour plus 点, then the minutes plus 分. 三点一刻 is also common for 'quarter past three'.
2Translate: 'The meeting is from two to four.'
Show a sample answer
会议从两点到四点。
从...到... marks the start and end. 会议从两点到四点开会 is also possible if you add the verb 开会.
3Ask what time the class ends.
Show a sample answer
课几点结束？
几点结束 asks for the ending clock time. 课什么时候结束？ is also correct and slightly more general.
Use 点 for clock hours, 半 for half past, 在 for 'at' a time, and 从...到... for a schedule span. Drop 在 in casual speech when the time is clear.
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