几点了
jǐ diǎn le
To ask "what time it is" in Chinese, use 几点了 (jǐ diǎn le).
几点了 is a question used to ask for the current time of day. When spoken with a rising intonation, it functions as a direct question. Note that 13:00 is expressed as shí-sān diǎn. To specify parts of the day, you can use zǎoshang (morning), xiàwǔ (afternoon) or wǎnshàng (evening).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 几 (how many), 点 (o'clock/hour) and 了 (a particle indicating a change of state or completion). Literally, it means "how many o'clock [already]".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 了 at the end of the phrase implies that the time has progressed to a certain point, and it is often used to express that it is already a certain time.
How do you pronounce it?
jǐ diǎn le
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese timekeeping, the day was divided into twelve 'double-hours' named after zodiac animals, which is still used in traditional medicine and fortune telling.
- Chinese has a specific word, 刻 (kè), for a quarter-hour. This comes from the ancient practice of carving notches into bamboo or wood to track time.
- In casual speech, the particle 了 (le) can change the meaning from a simple question to a complaint, such as 'What time is it already?!' when someone is late.
Examples in context
- 不好意思，请问您知道现在几点了吗？Excuse me, do you know what time it is?This sentence is useful for politely asking someone if they know the current time using 几点了.Tatoeba #5100269 by mirrorvan, translation #3789181 by CK
- “都几点了？早点睡吧。”“你不也没睡？”"Don't you know what time it is? Go to bed early." "You're still up, too, aren't you?"This sentence uses 几点了 to express that it is already a certain time.Tatoeba #13936943 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #13936966 by jan_OkulaJu
- Jīn tiān jǐ diǎn? (今天几点?)What time is it today?
- Wǔdiǎn bàn le (五点半了)It's already half past five.
- Qīdiǎn yīshí fēn (七点一十分)Seven ten (7:10)
- Shíliùdiǎn sānshí fēn (十六点三十分)Sixteen thirty (16:30)
- 请问现在几点了？qǐng wèn xiàn zài jǐ diǎn le?Excuse me, what time is it now?
Example conversation
Two friends are hanging out at a cafe.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你知道现在几点了吗？hào rán, nǐ zhī dào xiàn zài jǐ diǎn le ma?Haoran, do you know what time it is now?
- 浩然 Haoran现在三点半。xiàn zài sān diǎn bàn.It is three thirty now.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这么快！zhěn me kuài!That was fast!
- 浩然 Haoran是啊，我们要走了。shì a, wǒ men yào zǒu le.Yes, we should get going.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
