
How to Say Numbers in Mandarin – A Practical Guide to Numerals and Number Expressions
2023-06-25
Chinese Prepositions and Spatial Descriptions
2023-08-05⏰ 1. Why Time Expressions Are Important in Mandarin
Time is a key part of communication — whether you’re making plans, attending meetings, or simply asking someone’s schedule.
In Mandarin, time expressions follow a clear structure , but differ from English in several ways:
- The order of time elements is fixed
- There are no AM/PM distinctions (usually)
- Some expressions are more formal than others
Mastering how to say:
- Today, tomorrow, yesterday
- Monday, Tuesday, etc.
- 8:00 AM, 3 PM, half past five
…is essential for real-life conversations — especially if you plan to live, work, or travel in China.
Let’s dive into the core components of time expression in Mandarin.
? 2. Expressing Years, Months, and Days
The standard format in Mandarin is:
Year + 年 (nián) → Month + 月 (yuè) → Day + 日 / 号 (hào)
✅ Examples:
DATE | MANDARIN | NOTES |
---|---|---|
January 1st, 2025 | 2025年一月一号 | “号” is often used in speech instead of “日” |
March 15th | 三月十五号 | In spoken language, “几号” is more common than “日” |
September 30th | 九月三十号 | Avoid using “三十日” unless in formal writing |
? Tip:
In everyday speech, people usually say “号” (hào ) instead of “日” (rì ) when talking about dates.
So instead of saying “九月三十日,” just say “九月三十号.”
?️ 3. Talking About Days of the Week
Mandarin uses a simple pattern for days of the week:
[Day] + 星期 (xīngqī)
Or: 礼拜 (lǐbài) — which is more colloquial
? Common Structure:
DAY | FORMAL | INFORMAL | EXAMPLE SENTENCE |
---|---|---|---|
Monday | 星期一 | 礼拜一 | 我星期一要开会。(Wǒ xīngqī yī yào kāihuì.) – I have a meeting on Monday. |
Tuesday | 星期二 | 礼拜二 | 她星期二来吗?(Tā xīngqī’èr lái ma?) – Is she coming on Tuesday? |
Sunday | 星期天 | 礼拜天 | 我们礼拜天见吧。(Wǒmen lǐbài tiān jiàn ba.) – Let’s meet on Sunday. |
? Note:
- 星期 is preferred in formal contexts (business, written)
- 礼拜 is widely used in informal speech and southern China
Also, never say “星期七.” Use 星期天 or 礼拜天 for Sunday.
?️ 4. How to Say Time of Day – Clock and Hours
Mandarin uses a 24-hour system in official documents, but most daily conversation follows a 12-hour clock with 上午 (shàngwǔ – morning), 下午 (xiàwǔ – afternoon), and 晚上 (wǎnshang – evening).
✅ Basic Format:
[上午/下午/晚上] + [Hour] + 点 (diǎn )
Examples:
- 早上八点 (zǎoshang bā diǎn ) – 8:00 AM
- 上午十一点 (shàngwǔ shíyī diǎn ) – 11:00 AM
- 下午两点 (xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn ) – 2:00 PM
- 晚上七点半 (wǎnshang qī diǎn bàn ) – 7:30 PM
? Tip:
You can also use the 24-hour format in formal settings:
- 14:00 = 下午两点 or 十四点 (shísì diǎn )
- 18:30 = 下午六点半 or 十八点三十分 (shíbā diǎn sānshífēn )
? 5. Expressing Minutes – O’Clock, Half Past, Quarter Past
Unlike English, Mandarin doesn’t use phrases like “a quarter past” or “half past” — it directly states the number of minutes after the hour.
✅ Standard Pattern:
[Hour] + 点 + [Minute]
Examples:
- 8:05 → 八点零五分 (bā diǎn líng wǔ fēn )
- 9:15 → 九点十五分 (jiǔ diǎn shíwǔ fēn )
- 10:30 → 十点三十分 (shí diǎn sānshífēn )
(not “半点”)
? Special Case:
- 8:30 is often said as 八点半 (bā diǎn bàn )
- 但不是所有时间都用“半”,例如 9:30 仍说 九点三十分
? 6. Morning, Afternoon, and Evening – When to Use What
Mandarin divides the day into three main parts:
TIME PERIOD | TERM | USAGE |
---|---|---|
Morning | 早上 (zǎoshang) or 上午 (shàngwǔ) | 早上六点起床 – Wake up at 6 AM |
Afternoon | 下午 (xiàwǔ) | 下午三点见面 – Meet at 3 PM |
Evening/Night | 晚上 (wǎnshang) | 晚上吃什么?– What to eat tonight? |
? Differences:
- 早上 refers to early morning (before 9 AM)
- 上午 is from morning until noon
- 晚上 starts around 6 PM and lasts all night
Avoid using “中午 (zhōngwǔ )” for exact times — it means “noon” and isn’t used for precise expressions like “12:30 中午.”
? 7. Telling Time in Real-Life Situations
Here are some practical examples of how native speakers talk about time:
SITUATION | EXAMPLE | TRANSLATION |
---|---|---|
Asking for time | 现在几点了? | What time is it now? |
Giving time | 现在是上午十点二十。 | It’s 10:20 AM. |
Making an appointment | 我们下午三点见。 | Let’s meet at 3 PM. |
Confirming a date | 这个活动是星期几? | What day is this event on? |
Scheduling a meeting | 请定在下周一上午。 | Please schedule it for next Monday morning. |
? Tip:
When using time markers like 下周 (next week ) or 明天 (tomorrow ), place them before the full time expression.
Correct:
- 明天下午三点 (Míngtiān xiàwǔ sān diǎn ) – Tomorrow at 3 PM
- 下周二早上 (Xià zhōuyī zǎoshang ) – Tuesday morning next week
Incorrect:
- ❌ 下午三点明天 – sounds unnatural
⚠️ 8. Common Mistakes Learners Make
Even intermediate learners sometimes mix up time structures — here are the most frequent errors and how to fix them:
❌ Error #1: Saying “星期七” for Sunday
Correct : 使用 “星期天” 或 “礼拜天”
Why : “星期七” doesn’t exist in Mandarin — the week ends on Saturday.
❌ Error #2: Using “早上” for any time before noon
Correct : 上午 is better for general daytime references
Why : 早上通常指早晨(醒来到早餐期间),而上午更中性。
❌ Error #3: Forgetting “点” when telling time
Incorrect : 三点五分 (sān diǎn wǔ fēn )
Correct : 三点零五分 (sān diǎn líng wǔ fēn )
Why : 如果分钟小于10,加“零”更清晰。
❌ Error #4: Confusing “十二点” with AM/PM
Incorrect : 十二点可以表示中午和午夜
Correct :
- 十二点整 (中午 ) → 正午12点
- 十二点 (晚上 ) → 凌晨0点 or 晚上12点
? Clarify with 上午 or 晚上来避免歧义。
❌ Error #5: Saying “o’clock” literally
Incorrect : 一点钟 (yī diǎn zhōng )
Correct : Just say 一点 (yī diǎn )
Why : 钟在这里是多余的——“点”已经表示“o’clock”
?️ 9. Tools That Help You Practice Time Expressions
To build confidence in using time correctly, try these tools:
TOOL | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|
Pleco Dictionary | Shows sentence examples with time usage |
Skritter / WaniKani | Helps write and understand time-related characters |
Anki Flashcards | Create decks with time expressions and responses |
Integrated Chinese Textbook Series | Structured grammar explanations including time |
CCTV Learn Chinese Program | Real-life listening practice |
Use these resources to reinforce your understanding through reading, writing, and speaking.
? 10. Regional and Cultural Variations
While standard Mandarin has consistent time expressions, there are some regional differences worth noting.
?? Mainland China
- Uses “星期” for weekdays
- Says “号” for dates
- Follows the pattern: [Date] + [Time] + [Event]
Example:
- 我们九月一号下午三点见面。
(Wǒmen jiǔ yuè yī hào xiàwǔ sān diǎn jiànmiàn. )
We’ll meet at 3 PM on September 1st.
?? Hong Kong & Macau
- Often uses Cantonese terms (e.g., “點鐘” dim1 zung1 for “o’clock”)
- Written Mandarin still follows mainland rules
?? Taiwan
- Also uses standard Mandarin time expressions
- May use “禮拜” (lǐbài ) more frequently than “星期”
Example:
- 禮拜一見面 (Li bai yi jian mian ) – See you on Monday
? 11. Advanced Time Structures
Once you’re comfortable with basic time expressions, you’ll start seeing more complex forms used in business, education, and media.
Here are a few advanced patterns:
? Duration and Range
[Start time] 到 [End time]
- 我从早上九点工作到下午五点。
(Wǒ cóng zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn gōngzuò dào xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn. )
I work from 9 AM to 5 PM.
? Frequency
[Frequency word] + [Time unit]
- 每天 (měitiān ) – every day
- 每周 (měi zhōu ) – every week
- 每月 (měi yuè ) – monthly
- 每年 (měi nián ) – annually
? These help form sentences like:
- 我每天早上六点起床。
(Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang liù diǎn qǐchuáng. )
I wake up at 6 AM every day.
? Approximate Time
Sometimes, people don’t give exact time — they use approximate expressions.
- 快八点了 (kuài bā diǎn le ) – Almost 8 o’clock
- 差一刻八点 (chā yī kè bā diǎn ) – 7:45
- 一点左右 (yī diǎn zuǒuyòu ) – around 1 o’clock
These are useful in casual conversations and phone calls.
? 12. Sample Sentences Using Time Expressions
Here are some realistic sentences that combine time, date, and context:
SENTENCE | TRANSLATION | NOTES |
---|---|---|
今天是几号? | What day is today? | Used when confirming date |
明天下午我们开会。 | We have a meeting tomorrow afternoon. | 时间放在句首很自然 |
你几点走? | What time are you leaving? | “几点” is the standard question |
我们下个月见面。 | We’ll meet next month. | “下个月”比“下一个月”更常用 |
他上周就到了。 | He arrived last week already. | “就”强调提前到达 |
Try practicing these sentences out loud — and vary the time expressions to build flexibility.
? 13. Real-World Listening Tips
According to research by the Center for Chinese Linguistics at Peking University , native speakers often compress time expressions in fast speech.
For example:
- “九点三刻” (jiǔ diǎn sān kè ) – 9:45
- “差五分十点” (chā wǔ fēn shí diǎn ) – 9:55
- “过三分了” (guò sān fēn le ) – It’s three minutes past the hour
This level of detail may not be necessary for beginners — but it’s helpful for those preparing for business meetings or academic interviews where precision matters.
? 14. Summary Table: Time Expression Patterns
TYPE | PATTERN | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
Year-Month-Day | 年 + 月 + 日/号 | 2025年6月29号 |
Hour-Minute | 点 + 分 | 九点十分、五点三十分 |
Days of the Week | 星期 + 数字 | 星期一、星期五 |
Morning/Afternoon/Evening | 上午、下午、晚上 | 上午九点、晚上十一点 |
Future/Past Reference | 明天、后天、昨天、前天 | 明天下午三点 |
Frequency | 每天、每周、每月 | 每天早上学习 |
Exact vs Approximate | 点整 vs 点多 | 八点整 vs 八点多 |