English
If you want to read this post in German than please click on this link:
https://steemit.com/chinese/@fanxin/de-german-hsk1-what-s-the-time-link-for-english-speakers-in-this-post
HSK1 – What's the time?
The clock is one of the first tasks of the HSK1-Test. There are a Clock pictures with different times, and at the same time you will hear a time in chinese Does the time on the picture conform with the spoken pharse? You have to answer Yes or No! That's why I want to show you step by step who to say the time in chinese.
Step 1: The numbers from 0 to 10 + 两
You will need this numbers to build the time in chinese. This are the basics! Learn it!
零(ling2), 一(yi1), 二(er4), 三(san1), 四(si4), 五(wu3) 六(liu4), 七(qi1), 八(ba1), 九(jiu3), 十(shi2)
Unfortunately there is an exception:
两(liang3) – it's just another word for two.
But when do you use 两? Strictly speaking it's always before a mesure word e.g. 2 bars of chocolate. But in a nutshell if you want to say „it's 2 o'clock“
If you want to say 11, you just have to say literally 10+1 = 十一(shi2yi1)
The same thing for all the numbers to 19 (十九)
The number 20 is just 2 times 10. 二十(er4shi2)
二十一 (er4shi2yi1) = 21
How to say the number 87 in chinese? You'r right! 八十七(ba1shi2qi1)
With this basics you can already count from 0 to 99 in chinese! Easy isn't it?
Step 2: The clock (easy)
When you've learned the numbers, than you just need two more characters to explain what the time is.
点(dian3) – It means drop or dot. But here we just translate it as hour or o'clock.
Why do chinese people speak that way?
This picture shows you, what chinese people actually say. They don't say literally „it's x o'clock“. They say „X dots have passed“.
...点 – It's …. o'clock.
How to say „It's 17 o'clock.“? = 5pm (because 5+12=17)
十七点 (shi2qi1dian3)
Caution! Don't say 二点for it's 2 o'clock. That is wrong!. You have to say 两点 (see step 1) But if you want to say 12 or 22 o'clock, you don't need to use the character 两.
It's 12 o'clock = 十二点
It's 22 o'clock = 二十二点
And how about to say e.g. 06:25? You need the character分 (fen1). It means minute
...点...分
It's 06:25 = 六点二十五分
Now you can tell what the time is in chinese! But how to aks for the time?
几点了？(ji3dian3le0)
What does 几(ji3) mean? We transalte it as „how much“. 几点了？= What's the time? But I remember it that way. 几 means for me just a number you don't know yet. I translate it that way „It's x o'clock?“
Of course you can add 现在(xian4zai4) which means „now“.
现在几点了？= What's the time now?
现在十二点十四分。=Now it's 12:14.
Step 3: The clock (advanced)
As in English you can also say things like „half past 5“ or „it's quarter past 6“
You need
半(ban4) = half
一刻(yi2ke4) = quarter past ...
三刻(san1ke4) = quarter to … (literally 3 quarters)
e.g.
五点半= It is half past 5.
七点一刻= It is quarter past 7
七点三刻= It is quarter to 8 (literally 7 hours + 3 quarters)
Is there also something like „5 to 10“? Of course! You just need the character 差(cha4). We translate it as „to lack“.
差...分...点。
e.g. 09:55 = 差五分十点 (Literally - It's lacking 5 minutes to 10 o'clock)
That's it! I hope, the post was useful for you to improve your chinese.