Practical Notes
Daily Mandarin · Beginner
How to Tell Time in Chinese
Ask the time and say simple hour-and-minute answers with 点 and 分.
Quick answer
Use 现在几点
？to ask the time. Put the hour before 点
and minutes after it.
现在三点十分。
It is 3:10 now.
Hear the phrase, then repeat it aloud.
When to use it
Use 点
after the hour. Add the number of minutes, with 分
when useful.
Common mistake
Mandarin says the hour first, then the minutes. Keep that order stable.
Practise aloud
现在几点？ What time is it now?
现在三点。 It’s three o’clock now.
现在三点十分。 It’s 3:10 now.
Look at a clock and say three different times aloud. Real-time practice helps the structure feel useful immediately.
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