Language Learning
Time in Chinese: Hours, Days of the Week, Months and How to Tell Time in Mandarin
Telling time in Mandarin is more logical than it looks. Once you know the numbers 1–12 and two key words — 点 (diǎn, o'clock) and 分 (fēn, minute) — you can say any time on the clock. The same logic extends to days of the week, where each day is simply 星期 plus a number, and to months, where every month is a number plus 月 (yuè). This guide covers the complete set: clock hours, half-past and quarter expressions, all seven days, all twelve months, the five time-of-day words, and a step-by-step breakdown of how to ask and answer "What time is it?" in Mandarin.
The building blocks: 点, 分, 半
Three words do most of the work when telling time in Mandarin. 点 (diǎn, third tone — dip-rise) is the word for "o'clock" or "hour." It follows the number directly: 三点 (sān diǎn) is three o'clock. 分 (fēn, first tone — high flat) means "minute." 刻 (kè, fourth tone — falling) means "quarter" and is used by some speakers: 一刻 (yī kè) is a quarter past, 三刻 (sān kè) is a quarter to the next hour. 半 (bàn, fourth tone) means "half" and comes directly after 点: 三点半 (sān diǎn bàn) is 3:30.
A note on two o'clock: in Mandarin, the number two behaves differently before measure words and time expressions. Two o'clock is 两点 (liǎng diǎn), not 二点 (èr diǎn). This is the same 两 (liǎng) that appears in 两个 (liǎng gè, two of something). Children who have only learned 一、二、三 sometimes produce 二点 for 2 o'clock — it sounds slightly off to native ears, though the meaning is clear.
To say a time in full, the order is: [time-of-day] + [hour] + 点 + [minutes] + 分. So "9:15 in the morning" is 早上九点十五分 (zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn shífēn wǔ fēn). In casual conversation, the 分 at the end is often dropped: 早上九点十五 is perfectly natural speech.
See also: Chinese Days & Months — all 7 days of the week and 12 months of the year with Simplified Chinese characters, pinyin, and natural example sentences for each.
Related: Chinese numbers 0–10 — characters, pinyin, stroke order, and cultural notes for the complete number set that underpins time, days, and months in Mandarin.
Clock hours in Chinese: 一点 through 十二点
The twelve clock hours in Mandarin are formed by placing a number before 点 (diǎn). The only exception is 2 o'clock, which uses 两 (liǎng) instead of 二 (èr). All other hours follow directly from the number.
| Hour | Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | 一点 | yī diǎn | 1 o'clock |
| 2:00 | 两点 | liǎng diǎn | 2 o'clock |
| 3:00 | 三点 | sān diǎn | 3 o'clock |
| 4:00 | 四点 | sì diǎn | 4 o'clock |
| 5:00 | 五点 | wǔ diǎn | 5 o'clock |
| 6:00 | 六点 | liù diǎn | 6 o'clock |
| 7:00 | 七点 | qī diǎn | 7 o'clock |
| 8:00 | 八点 | bā diǎn | 8 o'clock |
| 9:00 | 九点 | jiǔ diǎn | 9 o'clock |
| 10:00 | 十点 | shí diǎn | 10 o'clock |
| 11:00 | 十一点 | shíyī diǎn | 11 o'clock |
| 12:00 | 十二点 | shíèr diǎn | 12 o'clock / noon |
Mandarin does not use a 24-hour clock in everyday speech the way German or French speakers sometimes do. Instead, speakers specify the time of day using a prefix word (more on this in the time-of-day section below). Context also does a lot of work: if someone says "let's meet at 八点 (eight o'clock)," a morning meeting is understood without adding "AM."
For half-past times, add 半 directly after 点: 八点半 (bā diǎn bàn) is 8:30. For minutes, the pattern is [hour]点[minutes]分: 八点二十分 (bā diǎn èrshí fēn) is 8:20. In very casual speech, the 分 at the end is often omitted.
Days of the week in Chinese
The Mandarin system for days of the week is beautifully logical. All seven days use 星期 (xīngqī, literally "star period" — a week), followed by the numbers one through six, and then a special character for Sunday. Monday is day one, Tuesday is day two, and so on through Saturday (day six). Sunday breaks the pattern slightly: it uses 日 (rì, sun/day) rather than seven — 星期日 (Xīngqīrì) — though 星期天 (Xīngqītiān, literally "week sky/heaven") is equally common in everyday speech, especially in Taiwan and mainland China.
| Day | Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 星期一 | Xīngqīyī | Monday (week day 1) |
| Tuesday | 星期二 | Xīngqīèr | Tuesday (week day 2) |
| Wednesday | 星期三 | Xīngqīsān | Wednesday (week day 3) |
| Thursday | 星期四 | Xīngqīsì | Thursday (week day 4) |
| Friday | 星期五 | Xīngqīwǔ | Friday (week day 5) |
| Saturday | 星期六 | Xīngqīliù | Saturday (week day 6) |
| Sunday | 星期日 / 星期天 | Xīngqīrì / Xīngqītiān | Sunday |
A useful phrase: 今天星期几？(Jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?) means "What day of the week is it today?" — literally "Today week number how-many?" To answer: 今天星期三 (Jīntiān xīngqīsān) — "Today is Wednesday." The same structure works for yesterday (昨天, zuótiān) and tomorrow (明天, míngtiān): 明天星期五 (Míngtiān xīngqīwǔ) — "Tomorrow is Friday."
A note on an alternative system: some speakers — especially in more formal written contexts — use 周 (zhōu, week) instead of 星期: 周一 (Zhōuyī) for Monday through 周日 (Zhōurì) for Sunday. The 周 system is especially common in print (newspapers, calendars, schedules). The 星期 system is more common in spoken Mandarin; both are widely understood everywhere.
Months in Chinese
The Mandarin month system is the most regular of any language covered here — bar none. Every month is simply a number followed by 月 (yuè, month). January is one-month, February is two-month, and so on through December as twelve-month. There are no irregular month names to memorise, no Latin or Norse deity references, no surprises at all. A child who knows numbers 1–12 in Chinese already knows all twelve months.
| Month | Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 一月 | Yīyuè | January |
| Month 2 | 二月 | Èryuè | February |
| Month 3 | 三月 | Sānyuè | March |
| Month 4 | 四月 | Sìyuè | April |
| Month 5 | 五月 | Wǔyuè | May |
| Month 6 | 六月 | Liùyuè | June |
| Month 7 | 七月 | Qīyuè | July |
| Month 8 | 八月 | Bāyuè | August |
| Month 9 | 九月 | Jiǔyuè | September |
| Month 10 | 十月 | Shíyuè | October |
| Month 11 | 十一月 | Shíyīyuè | November |
| Month 12 | 十二月 | Shíèryuè | December |
To say a full date in Mandarin, the order is largest unit to smallest — opposite to American English, same as British formal: year first, then month, then day. September 2nd, 2026 is 二〇二六年九月二日 (Èr líng èr liù nián jiǔ yuè èr rì) — literally "2026 year, 9 month, 2 day." The year is always read digit by digit (or as two two-digit groups in some styles), the month is its number plus 月, and the day is its number plus 日 (rì) or 号 (hào) in informal speech.
A question to practise: 今天几月几号？(Jīntiān jǐ yuè jǐ hào?) — "What is today's date?" literally "Today how-many month how-many number?" To answer: 今天九月二号 (Jīntiān jiǔ yuè èr hào) — "Today is September 2nd."
Time of day: morning, afternoon, evening, night
Mandarin divides the day into five broad periods, each with its own word. These words are placed before the clock time to disambiguate AM from PM and to set the scene of a sentence. Knowing them is essential for polite, clear time communication in Mandarin.
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Approximate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 早上 | zǎoshang | morning | 6 am – 12 pm |
| 中午 | zhōngwǔ | noon / midday | around 12 pm |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon | 12 pm – 6 pm |
| 晚上 | wǎnshang | evening / night | 6 pm – midnight |
| 凌晨 | língchén | early morning / wee hours | midnight – 6 am |
早上 (zǎoshang) — morning. The most common morning word. 早上好 (Zǎoshang hǎo) is "Good morning." The character 早 (zǎo) means "early" and is used on its own as a casual morning greeting between friends and family: just say 早! to a classmate and you've said good morning. 早上 is appropriate from when you wake up until the lunch hour.
中午 (zhōngwǔ) — noon. 中 (zhōng) means "middle" and 午 (wǔ) means "noon." Unlike the other time-of-day words, 中午 refers to a specific point rather than a period — roughly 11:30 am to 1 pm in ordinary usage. 中午吃什么？(Zhōngwǔ chī shénme?) means "What are we eating for lunch?" — a phrase any child in a Chinese-speaking household recognises.
下午 (xiàwǔ) — afternoon. 下 (xià) means "below" or "under," so 下午 literally means "below noon." The afternoon period begins after lunch and runs until early evening. A scheduled class at 下午三点 (xiàwǔ sān diǎn) is at 3 PM. This word appears frequently in calendar and schedule contexts.
晚上 (wǎnshang) — evening and night. 晚 (wǎn) means "late" or "evening" — it's also the character in 晚安 (wǎn'ān, Good night). 晚上 covers the span from dinner time through to midnight. 晚上好 (Wǎnshang hǎo) is "Good evening." This is the busiest time word for social contexts: movies, dinners, and bedtime routines all happen in 晚上.
凌晨 (língchén) — the wee hours. 凌晨 is the specialist term for the period between midnight and early morning — the hours most people experience only when travelling across time zones or staying up for a celebration. International flight arrivals at 凌晨三点 (língchén sān diǎn) — 3 AM — are a rite of passage for families visiting Taiwan from abroad.
How to say "What time is it?" in Mandarin
The standard question is 现在几点了？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?) — pronounced roughly "SYEN-dzye JEE-dyen luh?" with a rising tone on 几 and a third tone dipping on 点.
Breaking it down:
- 现在 (xiànzài) — now (fourth + fourth tones)
- 几 (jǐ) — how many (third tone)
- 点 (diǎn) — o'clock (third tone)
- 了 (le) — a particle indicating that a situation has arrived or changed (neutral tone)
A slightly shorter form drops 了 at the end: 现在几点？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?) is equally natural. Both are correct. The version with 了 has a slightly more colloquial, conversational feel.
To answer, replace 几 with the actual time:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 现在三点了。 | Xiànzài sān diǎn le. | It's 3 o'clock now. |
| 现在八点半了。 | Xiànzài bā diǎn bàn le. | It's half past 8 now. (8:30) |
| 现在下午两点了。 | Xiànzài xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn le. | It's 2 PM now. |
| 现在早上九点十五分了。 | Xiànzài zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn shíwǔ fēn le. | It's 9:15 in the morning now. |
Notice the pattern: 现在 + [time-of-day word (optional)] + [hour]点 + [minutes]分 + 了. The time-of-day word (早上, 下午, etc.) comes before the clock time, not after it. This is the reverse of English: in Mandarin you say "now morning nine o'clock fifteen minute," working from the largest unit (time of day) to the smallest (minutes).
If someone asks the time and you don't know, 我不知道 (Wǒ bù zhīdào) — "I don't know" — works fine. A more colourful response is 我没带手表 (Wǒ méi dài shǒubiǎo) — "I didn't bring a watch."
Quick reference: time expressions in Chinese
All five categories in one place for review.
Key time words
| Character | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 点 | diǎn | o'clock / hour |
| 分 | fēn | minute |
| 半 | bàn | half (as in half past) |
| 刻 | kè | quarter hour |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now |
| 今天 | jīntiān | today |
| 昨天 | zuótiān | yesterday |
| 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow |
FAQ
How do you say "What time is it?" in Chinese?
The standard phrase is 现在几点了？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?) — "Now how-many o'clock [particle]?" You can also use the shorter 现在几点？(Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?) without the 了 particle; both are natural. To answer, replace 几 with the time: 现在三点了 (Xiànzài sān diǎn le) — "It's 3 o'clock now." If you want to specify AM or PM, add the time-of-day word before the hour: 现在下午三点了 (Xiànzài xiàwǔ sān diǎn le) — "It's 3 PM now."
How do you say the days of the week in Mandarin?
The days of the week in Mandarin use 星期 (xīngqī) followed by a number: 星期一 (Xīngqīyī) Monday, 星期二 (Xīngqīèr) Tuesday, 星期三 (Xīngqīsān) Wednesday, 星期四 (Xīngqīsì) Thursday, 星期五 (Xīngqīwǔ) Friday, 星期六 (Xīngqīliù) Saturday, and 星期日 (Xīngqīrì) / 星期天 (Xīngqītiān) Sunday. Monday is literally "week day one" and the pattern holds through Saturday. Sunday uniquely uses 日 (sun) or 天 (sky/heaven) rather than the number seven. An alternative formal system uses 周 instead of 星期: 周一 through 周日.
How do you say the months of the year in Chinese?
Chinese months are simply the number plus 月 (yuè): 一月 (Yīyuè) January through 十二月 (Shíèryuè) December. There are no irregular names — the system is entirely regular. Once a child knows Chinese numbers 1–12, all twelve months follow automatically. February is 二月 (Èryuè), September is 九月 (Jiǔyuè), and December is 十二月 (Shíèryuè). The characters for months are identical in Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
What is the word for o'clock in Chinese?
O'clock in Chinese is 点 (diǎn), a third-tone character with a dip-rise pitch contour. It follows the number directly: 七点 (qī diǎn) is 7 o'clock. Two o'clock is the one exception: use 两点 (liǎng diǎn), not 二点 (èr diǎn) — 两 (liǎng) is the form of "two" used before measure words in Mandarin. For half past, add 半 (bàn) after 点: 七点半 is 7:30. For minutes, add the minute count followed by 分 (fēn): 七点二十分 is 7:20.
How do you say morning, afternoon, and evening in Mandarin?
Morning is 早上 (zǎoshang), covering roughly 6 AM to noon. The casual greeting 早！(Zǎo!) means "morning!" on its own. Noon is 中午 (zhōngwǔ). Afternoon is 下午 (xiàwǔ), literally "below noon." Evening and night is 晚上 (wǎnshang), from about 6 PM to midnight. Late night or the wee hours is 凌晨 (língchén). To specify a time with context, place the time-of-day word before the hour: 晚上八点 (wǎnshang bā diǎn) is 8 in the evening; 早上六点 (zǎoshang liù diǎn) is 6 in the morning.
For the number characters that underpin all of these time expressions — from 零 (zero) through 十 (ten) with stroke order, tones, and cultural notes — see our Chinese Numbers 0–10 guide. And for a deeper look at numbers 1–10 specifically, visit the Mandarin Numbers 1–10 guide.