Mastering Time Expressions in Mandarin

Understanding Basic Time Expressions in Mandarin

Mandarin Chinese has a unique way of expressing time, and understanding these expressions is critical for day-to-day conversations. Knowing how to accurately report the time can help you make appointments, discuss schedules, and navigate daily activities in Mandarin.

Telling Time in Mandarin

In Mandarin, time is generally expressed in a format similar to "hour:min" using 点 (diǎn) for "hour" and 分 (fēn) for "minute." For example, 7:30 is said as 七点半 (qī diǎn bàn) or half past seven.

Days and Dates

Understanding the days and specific dates requires familiarity with two main categories: the days of the week and the days of the month. A week in Mandarin is known as 星期 (xīngqī), and you'll encounter phrases like 星期一 (xīngqī yī) for Monday.

Describing Events at Specific Times

To describe when something happens, you can use expressions like 早上 (zǎoshang) for "morning," 下午 (xiàwǔ) for "afternoon," and 晚上 (wǎnshang) for "evening." For instance, "I go to school in the morning" translates to 我早上去学校 (wǒ zǎoshang qù xuéxiào).

Relative Time Expressions

Relative time expressions like "tomorrow" and "yesterday" are important to master as they are often used in conversations. For instance, "tomorrow" is 明天 (míngtiān), and "yesterday" is 昨天 (zuótiān).

Additionally, words like 现在 (xiànzài) for "now" and 刚才 (gāngcái) for "just now" are crucial to express immediate temporal context.