What is “5 o’clock in the afternoon” in Chinese? This is a super common question for anyone just starting to learn Chinese for everyday conversations. Knowing how to ask and tell the time not only helps you chat with confidence but is also an essential foundation if you want to improve your Mandarin quickly. Let’s find out how to say “5 p.m.” in Chinese, with the correct pinyin and practical communication tips below!
1. How do you say 5 o’clock in the afternoon in Chinese?
The way to say “5 o’clock in the afternoon” in Chinese is:
下午五点
- Pinyin: xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn
- Breakdown:
- 下午 (xiàwǔ): afternoon
- 五 (wǔ): five
- 点 (diǎn): o’clock/hour
So, if you want to say “5 p.m.” to a friend or in a work context, just use 下午五点. Simple and super easy to remember, right?
2. Learn to tell the time in Mandarin—super easy
In Mandarin, telling the time usually involves the part of the day + number + 点 (diǎn). Here are some of the most common time phrases to know:
- Morning: 早上 (zǎoshang) or 上午 (shàngwǔ)
- Noon: 中午 (zhōngwǔ)
- Afternoon: 下午 (xiàwǔ)
- Evening/night: 晚上 (wǎnshang)
Practical examples:
- 6 a.m.: 早上六点 (zǎoshang liù diǎn)
- 12 noon: 中午十二点 (zhōngwǔ shí’èr diǎn)
- 3 p.m.: 下午三点 (xiàwǔ sān diǎn)
- 9 p.m.: 晚上九点 (wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn)
Note: Mandarin uses the 12-hour system, so you need to include the time of day for clarity.
3. How to ask and answer the time in Chinese
One of the first phrases you should learn is how to ask, “What time is it now?”:
-
现在几点？(xiànzài jǐ diǎn?)
→ What time is it now?
To answer, combine the part of the day + the hour + 点:
-
现在下午五点。
(xiànzài xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn)
→ It’s 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
Other handy time-related phrases:
- What time do you arrive? 你几点到？(nǐ jǐ diǎn dào?)
- What time should we meet? 我们几点见？(wǒmen jǐ diǎn jiàn?)
4. Vocabulary for afternoon and time in Mandarin
“Afternoon” in Chinese is 下午 (xiàwǔ), typically referring to the period from around 1 p.m. to 6 or 7 p.m.
Some reference times:
- 1 p.m.: 下午一点 (xiàwǔ yī diǎn)
- 2 p.m.: 下午两点 (xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn)
- 5 p.m.: 下午五点 (xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn)
- 6 p.m.: 下午六点 (xiàwǔ liù diǎn)
To say “5:30 p.m.” just add “半” (bàn, meaning “half”) after the hour:
-
5:30 p.m.: 下午五点半 (xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn bàn)
5. Practice real-life conversation using time phrases
Let’s try a quick dialogue for setting up a meeting:
A: 我们几点见面？
(wǒmen jǐ diǎn jiàn miàn?)
→ What time shall we meet?
B: 下午五点可以吗？
(xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn kěyǐ ma?)
→ Is 5 p.m. okay?
A: 好的，下午五点见！
(hǎo de, xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn jiàn!)
→ Great, see you at 5 p.m.!
6. Useful Chinese time-related vocabulary
- Hour/o’clock: 点 (diǎn)
- Minute: 分 (fēn)
- Half (thirty minutes): 半 (bàn)
- Afternoon: 下午 (xiàwǔ)
- Morning: 早上 (zǎoshang), 上午 (shàngwǔ)
- Evening: 晚上 (wǎnshang)
- Now: 现在 (xiànzài)
7. Tips to remember how to tell time in Chinese
- Practice asking and answering about the time whenever you talk to friends or teachers.
- Use flashcards to note down new vocabulary and try making your own sample sentences for quick recall.
- Watch Chinese movies or listen to Chinese songs to get familiar with how natives talk about time.
- When you’re new to learning, always write the pinyin next to new words so you can pronounce and remember them more easily.
Summary
So, the answer to “What is 5 o’clock in the afternoon in Chinese?” is 下午五点 (xiàwǔ wǔ diǎn). Mastering how to tell the time will make you much more confident in daily Mandarin conversations, whether it’s in daily life or at work. Apply what you’ve learned today and you’ll remember it much longer!