Chinese Language Stack Exchange
Chinese Language Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [time]

For questions relating to time in Chinese

This tag is for questions relating to time in Chinese and its topolects:

  • telling time
  • time complements
  • words used to express chronological order of actions in a sentence (以前 / 以后，先 / 后，同时，的时候，etc.) and related grammar rules

If your question is about representation of time with calendars (日历), the lunar calendar (农历), heavenly stems (天干) or earthly branches (地支), please consider using [calendar] or [culture] instead, as appropriate.

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I am confused by how time is discussed in Chinese,

Ok so let me start with some examples: xia ci 下次 (next time) is "down time". so... down = future? shang ci 上次(last time) is "up time" so... up = past? hou 后 (back) also often refers to future so... back = future? qian 前 (forward) also often refers…
Clancy
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When does 秋分后遇壬/逢壬 refer to?

I'm working on the, topolectical, word 出沾. 《四川方言词语续考》explains it as: 秋分後遇壬叫入霑，十日滿叫出霑。 李實's《蜀語》defines it as; 秋分後逢壬謂之入霑，十日滿謂之出霑○霑謂雨多也。逢壬十日內謂之霑天。諺云： ‘入霑有雨 出霑晴。’ Which is pretty much the same. The part I don't get is the whole 遇壬/逢壬 part. 壬 could…
Mou某
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Zero in the time

When you say the time, do natives usually say 一点零五 or 一点五? I already tried asking Google, it gave me sites with different opinions Thanks!
PandaTurtle
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Usage of 在 in Place complement, Time Complement

In Chinese sentence, I know Place and Time complement needs to follow these orders: (1) Subject + Time + Place + How + Do sth (2) Time + Subject + Place + How + Do sth I notice that Time Complement can omit 在, for example： （在）下课之后，玛丽去足球场。 Besides,…
Jenny
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Express ordinal number of hour in Chinese?

Is it possible to express the notion of ordinal number of a hour in Chinese? For example, any time between 2:00 and 2:59 is from THIRD hour. May I say somehow, that 2:05 is five minutes of THIRD hour?
Dims
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How appropriate is 现在是什么时间? for asking the time?

现在是什么时间? Now is what time? This seems to be an alternative way of asking for the time in Chinese. (The usual way is 现在几点了?) However, something feels "off" about this question: I can only find it used in two situations, (a) when English is…
Becky 李蓓
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Meaning of this sentence: 我几个月后再来

I just want to know the exact meaning of this sentence: 我几个月后再来 I have some options: A few months later I come again Next month I come again Other meaning Thanks
Nicolas
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