How to say “what time is it” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
几点 is two third tones, so 几 rises: jí diǎn. Answer with number + 点: 三点 (sān diǎn) is three o'clock, 三点半 (sān diǎn bàn) is half past three. Adding 了 at the end (现在几点了) is how people usually ask.
In a sentence
Qǐngwèn, xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?
Excuse me, what time is it now?
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "what time is it" in Chinese?+
"what time is it" in Mandarin Chinese is 现在几点, pronounced xiànzài jǐ diǎn. 几点 is two third tones, so 几 rises: jí diǎn. Answer with number + 点: 三点 (sān diǎn) is three o'clock, 三点半 (sān diǎn bàn) is half past three. Adding 了 at the end (现在几点了) is how people usually ask.
What does 现在几点 mean literally?+
现在几点 breaks down as 现在 (xiànzài) = now, 几 (jǐ) = how many, 点 (diǎn) = o'clock (lit. point). Together it means "what time is it".
How do I get the tones right in xiànzài jǐ diǎn?+
几点 is two third tones, so 几 rises: jí diǎn. Answer with number + 点: 三点 (sān diǎn) is three o'clock, 三点半 (sān diǎn bàn) is half past three. Adding 了 at the end (现在几点了) is how people usually ask.
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