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Basic Grammar: all 87 lessons free

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Free tasteBasic Grammar

几点几分 — Telling the Time, Hour First

时间的表达 — 几点几分

Hour, then minutes, then nothing else — 八点十分. Two o'clock is 两点, the day has five parts, and 差 lets you count backwards.

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Cloned voice — synthesised in a real teacher's timbre, not a recording of her.

Memory hook

x点x分 — hour first, minutes after

Six times you will hear today

Tap any line. Every one is the same machine: (part of the day) + hour + 点 + minutes.

Tap any line to hear it

Pronunciation clinic

两点, never 二点 — and never 十三点

2:00 → 两点 ✓ 二点 ✗
13:00 → 下午一点 ✓ 十三点 ✗
20:00 → 晚上八点 ✓ 二十点 ✗

点 counts hours the way 个 counts things, so two takes 两. And the clock only goes to twelve — the part of the day does the rest.

2:00 → 两点 ✓ 二点 ✗
13:00 → 下午一点 ✓ 十三点 ✗
20:00 → 晚上八点 ✓ 二十点 ✗

「点」数小时就像「个」数东西,所以二要说「两」。钟只数到十二——剩下的交给早上、下午、晚上。

Memory hook

分 stays when the minutes are exactly ten

Read the clock看钟说时间

Her clocks, her times. AM and PM are on the clock — the part of the day is yours to say.

Round 1: which time is it?第一关:现在几点了?

No pressure — just making it stick.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's eight in the morning.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's half past seven in the evening.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's 9:07 in the morning.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's 9:20 in the evening.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's five to twelve at night.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's ten past two in the afternoon.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's 1:12 in the afternoon.

现在____。

xiàn zài ____。

It's eight in the evening.

Round 2: say the time第二关:把时间说出来

No pressure — just making it stick.

Your turn — say it

现在八点。

Xiànzài bā diǎn.

It's eight o'clock.

Your turn — say it

现在两点四十五分。

Xiànzài liǎng diǎn sìshíwǔ fēn.

It's 2:45.

Your turn — say it

现在晚上十一点十五分。

Xiànzài wǎnshang shíyī diǎn shíwǔ fēn.

It's 11:15 at night.

Your turn — say it

现在差五分十二点。

Xiànzài chà wǔ fēn shí'èr diǎn.

It's five to twelve.

Discussion

Answer the question

Draw a lot and answer with a full time — out loud, or typed.

6 topics are too many — you answer the ones you draw. Two questions per lot.

Tap “Draw”: the tube shakes and two questions come out. Say them or type them, save, and send the file to your teacher.

▸ All 6 topics (for the teacher in class)
  1. 1

    现在几点了?

    Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?

    What time is it now?

  2. 2

    现在几点了?

    Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?

    What time is it now?

  3. 3

    他的飞机是几点的?

    Tā de fēijī shì jǐ diǎn de?

    What time is his flight?

  4. 4

    你平时一般几点睡觉?

    Nǐ píngshí yìbān jǐ diǎn shuìjiào?

    What time do you usually go to bed?

  5. 5

    你早上几点去上班?

    Nǐ zǎoshang jǐ diǎn qù shàngbān?

    What time do you go to work in the morning?

  6. 6

    我们几点几分下课?

    Wǒmen jǐ diǎn jǐ fēn xiàkè?

    What time exactly does our class end?

记Class notes

Notes for the whole lesson go here and save as you type.

Your own day

Real times only — yours. Say each one before you fill it in.

我Wǒ早zǎo上shang点diǎn起qǐ床chuáng。

I get up at ____ in the morning.

我Wǒ晚wǎn上shang点diǎn分fēn睡shuì觉jiào。

I go to bed at ____:____ at night.

我Wǒ们men点diǎn上shàng课kè。

Our class starts at ____.

  • 1. the hour, 六 to 十 — remember 两 for two
  • 2. the hour: 十一
  • 3. the minutes: 三十 / 十 / 零五
  • 4. part of the day + hour: 晚上八
结

Take these with you

Everything worth taking away. Tap any line to hear it.

Words 生词

Characters 汉字

Sentences to keep 主要句型

Before you go课后回顾

  1. 1Every time you check your phone today, say the time in Chinese first — part of the day, hour, minutes. 下午三点二十. The phone only confirms.
  2. 2Catch yourself at two o'clock: it is 两点. If 二点 slips out, say 两点 three times.
  3. 3Ask one person 你几点下班? and listen for the answer's shape: hour, 点, minutes.