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  <h1>Structure of times (advanced)</h1>

  <p>If you already know <a href="Structure_of_times_(basic)" title="wikilink">the basics of how to tell time in Chinese</a>, you may want to get a little more specific or sophisticated, using words like <span class="hanzi">分</span> (<span class="pinyin">fēn</span>) and <span class="hanzi">刻</span> (<span class="pinyin">kè</span>).</p>

  <h2 id="minutes-past-the-hour">Minutes Past the Hour</h2>

  <p>Minutes are marked with <span class="hanzi">分</span> (<span class="pinyin">fēn</span>) (short for <span class="hanzi">分钟</span> (<span class="pinyin">fēnzhōn</span>g)). The way to include them in the time depends on whether they're minutes past or to the hour.</p>

  <p>Minutes past the hour are expressed after <span class="hanzi">点</span> (<span class="pinyin">diǎn</span>) in the same way as half and quarter hours.</p>

  <h2 id="minutes-less-than-10">Minutes Less Than 10</h2>

  <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>x <span class="hanzist">点</span> y <span class="hanzist">分</span></p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">一 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 四 十 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span><br/><span class="pinyin"> yī <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> sìshí </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span><br/> 1:40</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 十 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">liǎng <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> shí </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span><br/> 2:10</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">三 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 二 十 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">sān <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> èrshí </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span><br/> 3:20</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">七 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 十 五 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">qī <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> shíwǔ </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span><br/> 7:15</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">九 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 五 十</span><span class="fondjaune">分</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">jiǔ <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> wǔshí </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span><br/> 9:50</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="minutes-greater-than-10">Minutes Greater Than 10</h2>

  <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>

  <p>In Chinese, when the minute is under 10, the word <span class="hanzi">零</span> (<span class="pinyin">líng</span>) is often used after <span class="hanzi">点</span> (<span class="pinyin">diǎn</span>). For example, 2:07 would be said as “<span class="hanzi">两点零七分</span>” (<span class="pinyin">liǎng diǎn líng qī fēn</span>). However, note that when speaking, it is very common for most Chinese people take out the “<span class="hanzi">分</span> (<span class="pinyin">fēn</span>)” at the end of the time.</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>x <span class="hanzist">点 零</span> y <span class="hanzist">分</span></p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">两 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> <span class="fondjaune">零</span> 九</span><span class="fondjaune">分</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">liǎng <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <span class="fondjaune">líng</span> jiǔ </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span><br/> 2:09</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">三 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> <span class="fondjaune">零</span> 八 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">sān <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <span class="fondjaune">líng</span> bā </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span><br/> 3:08</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">五 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> <span class="fondjaune">零</span> 三 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span><br/> <span class="pinyin">wǔ <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <span class="fondjaune">líng</span> sān </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span> <br/>5:03</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">七 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> <span class="fondjaune">零</span> 一 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span><br/><span class="pinyin">qī <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <span class="fondjaune">líng</span> yī </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span> <br/>7:01</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">八 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> <span class="fondjaune">零</span> 五 </span><span class="fondjaune">分</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">bā <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <span class="fondjaune">líng</span> wǔ </span><span class="fondjaune">fēn</span> <br/>8:05</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="quarter-hours">Quarter Hours</h2>

  <p>In Chinese, quarter hours are only expressed on the 1st quarter x:15, and the third quarter x:45. Like half hours, they also come after the word <span class="hanzi">点</span> (<span class="pinyin">diăn</span>). We use the word <span class="hanzi">刻</span> (<span class="pinyin">kè</span>) to express "<b>quarter hour.</b>"</p>

  <h3 id="structure-2">Structure</h3>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>x <span class="hanzist">点</span> y <span class="hanzist">刻</span></p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-2">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">九 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 一 </span><span class="fondjaune">刻</span><br/><span class="pinyin">jiǔ <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> yī </span><span class="fondjaune">kè</span> <br/>9:15</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">十 二 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 一 </span><span class="fondjaune">刻</span><br/><span class="pinyin">shí'èr <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> yī </span><span class="fondjaune">kè</span><br/> 12:15</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">六 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 三 </span><span class="fondjaune">刻</span><br/><span class="pinyin">liù <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> sān </span><span class="fondjaune">kè</span> <br/>6:45</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>You can totally just use <span class="hanzi">十五分</span> (<span class="pinyin">shíwǔ fēn</span>) for "15 minutes (past)" or <span class="hanzi">四十五分</span> (<span class="pinyin">sìshí-wǔ fēn</span>) for "45 minutes (past)" if you're lazy, though. It also works!</p>

  <h2 id="minutes-to-the-hour">Minutes to the Hour</h2>

  <p>When expressing how many minutes it will be till the next full hour, you put <span class="hanzi">差</span> (<span class="pinyin">chā</span>) in front of the time expression.</p>

  <h3 id="structure-3">Structure</h3>

  <p>Minutes to the hour use this structure:</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">差</span> + Minutes + <span class="hanzist">分</span> + Hour + <span class="hanzist">点</span></p>
  </div>

  <p>or</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Hour + <span class="hanzist">点</span> + <span class="hanzist">差</span> + Minutes + <span class="hanzist">分</span></p>
  </div>

  <h3 id="examples-3">Examples</h3>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">差</span> 五 分 三 </span><span class="fondjaune">点</span><br/><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">chā</span> wǔ fēn sān </span><span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <br/>five minutes til 3 o'clock</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">十二 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> <span class="fondjaune">差</span> 三 分</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">shí'èr <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <span class="fondjaune">chā</span> sān fēn</span><br/> three minutes til 12 o'clock</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi"><span class="fondjaune">差</span> 五 分 八 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> 半</span><br/><span class="pinyin"><span class="fondjaune">chā</span> wǔ fēn bā <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> bàn</span><br/> five minutes til 8:30</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">十 <span class="fondjaune">点</span> <span class="fondjaune">差</span> 两 分</span> <br/><span class="pinyin">shí <span class="fondjaune">diǎn</span> <span class="fondjaune">chā</span> liǎng fēn</span><br/> two minutes til 10:00</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="Structure_of_times_(basic)" title="wikilink">Structure of times (basic)</a></li>

    <li><a href="Structure_of_numbers" title="wikilink">Structure of numbers</a></li>

    <li><a href="Structure_of_dates" title="wikilink">Structure of dates</a></li>

    <li><a href="Structure_of_days_of_the_week" title="wikilink">Structure of days of the week</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 74-5)　</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本1</span>) (pp. 160)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本1</span>)(2nd ed) (pp. 185)</li>
  </ul>
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