<p>I think you are asking how to tell time in the military setting. If so,</p>
<ul>
<li><p>0003 - 零點零三分 or 零零零三小時</p>
</li>
<li><p>0215 - 二點十五分 or 零二么五小時</p>
</li>
<li><p>1404 - 十四點零四分 or 么四零四小時</p>
</li>
<li><p>1500 - 十五點整 or 么五零零小時</p>
</li>
<li><p>1842 - 十八點四十二分 or 么八四二小時</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The following words, each representing a natural event that occurs in a certain period of a day, can not be used to tell the time (e.g xx八點):</p>
<ul>
<li><p>日出/日落 - Sunrise/Sunset.</p>
</li>
<li><p>黎明/破曉 - Dawn.</p>
</li>
<li><p>黃昏 - Dust.</p>
</li>
<li><p>白天 - Daytime.</p>
</li>
<li><p>夜晚 - Night.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Words that indicate a certain period in a day, but are used to assist in telling time:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>早上/上午十點十五(分) - 10:15 in the morning.</p>
</li>
<li><p>下午/午後兩點三十(分) - 2:30 in the afternoon.</p>
</li>
<li><p>傍晚六點整 - 6:00 in the evening.</p>
</li>
<li><p>晚上/間九點五分/零五 - 9:05 in the night.</p>
</li>
<li><p>凌晨四點半 - 4:30 in the morning.</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-13T22:59:48.570Z
thanks, thats helpful
KiwiLearner
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-14T00:43:13.933Z
These 3 certian periods of a day: 日出/日落 - Sunrise/Sunset. 黎明/破曉 - Dawn. 黃昏 - Dusk. Cannot be used to ASSIST in telling time BUT you can ask or tell the time that they happen, correct?
KiwiLearner
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-14T01:59:13.657Z
Yes, 日出/日落/黃昏 each occurs around a time frame, so we can pick an approximate time to indicate the occurrence - "日出一般是在早上五點, 日落大多在傍晚六點, 黃昏約介於六點到七點之間." I don't recall that 黎明/破曉 has ever tied/connected to time.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-14T10:17:10.167Z
Since dawn is the opposite of dusk (they both mean light still in the sky but cannot see sun above the horizon), I would have to say that if you can use approx time to indicate dusk then you should be able to do so for dawn too. I think a lot of people dont actually know what dawn is and use it interchangably with sunrise.
KiwiLearner
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-14T12:27:53.027Z
Just as a matter of general scientific interest, we do not actually see, with our eyes, a sunrise or a sunset, it is all an optical illusion. Thus if we have to "time" or give a certain time to a sunrise or a sunset, some adjustments are needed. Let Neil deGrasse Tyson explains it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=9bww_ux8NCo
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-14T19:07:23.733Z
黎明/破曉 - the instant the dark/night sky starts to light up from the first light(曙光; the beginning of a day's daylight. 黃昏 - occurs between the time that daylight loses its intensity and the time the sky turns to near complete darkness. An instant event with unpredictable timing vs a routine event across an approximate/finite period. But I do agree we should avoid associating 黃昏 with a time/time period.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-16T20:18:59.787Z
@WayneCheah this may be true visually but doesn't really apply here.  No matter which type of sunrise//sunset you are describing they can all be labeled to the minute and are defined based on the exact degrees the sun has moved to//below the horizon. for example today where I am each type of morning twilight started at 4:04am, 4:51am, 5:33am, and proper sunrise at 6:07am. thats based on actual sun position and not the amount of light released etc. ((the earliest twilight should have been light but it was still pretty dark with clouds)).
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-13T16:46:52.420Z
2024-08-13T23:06:40.057Z
2024-08-13T23:06:40.057Z
r13
<p>Better if you write the English you want to express in Chinese, then the Chinese you have for that, then ask if the Chinese is correct.</p>
<p>When are we leaving?<br />
我们什么时候走？</p>
<p>When did we leave?<br />
我们什么时候走的？</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-13T23:06:43.017Z
That is de, the possession particle? I don't understand how that would show/turn something that has already happened in the past.
KiwiLearner
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-14T06:49:35.467Z
I think you probably would not write, "When did we gone?" in English. Think of: We are leaving. We left.  走了 matches gone or left here. So-called Past Participles are descriptive words, corresponding with the Western Grammar categories noun or adjective, as is the phrase 走的。Chinese does not play by the same rules as English, you shouldn't try to force it to do that.
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-13T14:41:27.067Z
2024-08-13T14:41:27.067Z
Pedroski
<p>I am creating 2 a3 pages for telling time in mandarin. Most of it is completed I just need help with some questions (green text). Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks</p>
<p>ps. source: dummies.com, chineselanguage subreddit, chinesefor.us, improvemandarin.com, dummies.com, pandachineselanguage.com</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/BHbewkrz.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">page on telling the time in mandarin</a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/M6cdPBmp.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/M6cdPBmp.jpg" alt="page on telling the time in mandarin" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-13T13:21:30.223Z
Huh? What is the actual question here?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-13T18:09:30.493Z
My first thought is that you make two categories for time and time period. 在两点钟 is very different from 过两个小时。
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-13T23:17:42.853Z
Sorry, can you please clarify that in pinyin or english. You are saying that "2 o'clock" is different from...
KiwiLearner
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-14T10:40:33.927Z
ah i think you mean duration of time. Think ill leave them there for now, they are different but still in same overall subject imo
KiwiLearner
<mandarin><pinyin><time>
Some questions (in green text) to complete my 2 A3 pages on telling time in mandarin
# Some questions (in green text) to complete my 2 A3 pages on telling time in mandarin

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-13)

I am creating 2 a3 pages for telling time in mandarin. Most of it is completed I just need help with some questions (green text). Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

ps. source: dummies.com, chineselanguage subreddit, chinesefor.us, improvemandarin.com, dummies.com, pandachineselanguage.com

[page on telling the time in mandarin](https://i.sstatic.net/BHbewkrz.jpg)

[![page on telling the time in mandarin](https://i.sstatic.net/M6cdPBmp.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/M6cdPBmp.jpg)

**Tags:** mandarin, pinyin, time

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Huh? What is the actual question here?  
> **username_2**: My first thought is that you make two categories for time and time period. 在两点钟 is very different from 过两个小时。  
> **username_0**: Sorry, can you please clarify that in pinyin or english. You are saying that "2 o'clock" is different from...  
> **username_0**: ah i think you mean duration of time. Think ill leave them there for now, they are different but still in same overall subject imo  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-08-13. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

I think you are asking how to tell time in the military setting. If so,

* 0003 - 零點零三分 or 零零零三小時
* 0215 - 二點十五分 or 零二么五小時
* 1404 - 十四點零四分 or 么四零四小時
* 1500 - 十五點整 or 么五零零小時
* 1842 - 十八點四十二分 or 么八四二小時

The following words, each representing a natural event that occurs in a certain period of a day, can not be used to tell the time (e.g xx八點):

* 日出/日落 - Sunrise/Sunset.
* 黎明/破曉 - Dawn.
* 黃昏 - Dust.
* 白天 - Daytime.
* 夜晚 - Night.

Words that indicate a certain period in a day, but are used to assist in telling time:

* 早上/上午十點十五(分) - 10:15 in the morning.
* 下午/午後兩點三十(分) - 2:30 in the afternoon.
* 傍晚六點整 - 6:00 in the evening.
* 晚上/間九點五分/零五 - 9:05 in the night.
* 凌晨四點半 - 4:30 in the morning.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks, thats helpful  
> **username_0**: These 3 certian periods of a day: 日出/日落 - Sunrise/Sunset. 黎明/破曉 - Dawn. 黃昏 - Dusk. Cannot be used to ASSIST in telling time BUT you can ask or tell the time that they happen, correct?  
> **username_3**: Yes, 日出/日落/黃昏 each occurs around a time frame, so we can pick an approximate time to indicate the occurrence - "日出一般是在早上五點, 日落大多在傍晚六點, 黃昏約介於六點到七點之間." I don't recall that 黎明/破曉 has ever tied/connected to time.  
> **username_0**: Since dawn is the opposite of dusk (they both mean light still in the sky but cannot see sun above the horizon), I would have to say that if you can use approx time to indicate dusk then you should be able to do so for dawn too. I think a lot of people dont actually know what dawn is and use it interchangably with sunrise.  
> **username_4**: Just as a matter of general scientific interest, we do not actually see, with our eyes, a sunrise or a sunset, it is all an optical illusion. Thus if we have to "time" or give a certain time to a sunrise or a sunset, some adjustments are needed. Let Neil deGrasse Tyson explains it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=9bww_ux8NCo  
> **username_3**: 黎明/破曉 - the instant the dark/night sky starts to light up from the first light(曙光; the beginning of a day's daylight. 黃昏 - occurs between the time that daylight loses its intensity and the time the sky turns to near complete darkness. An instant event with unpredictable timing vs a routine event across an approximate/finite period. But I do agree we should avoid associating 黃昏 with a time/time period.  
> **username_5**: @username_4 this may be true visually but doesn't really apply here.  No matter which type of sunrise//sunset you are describing they can all be labeled to the minute and are defined based on the exact degrees the sun has moved to//below the horizon. for example today where I am each type of morning twilight started at 4:04am, 4:51am, 5:33am, and proper sunrise at 6:07am. thats based on actual sun position and not the amount of light released etc. ((the earliest twilight should have been light but it was still pretty dark with clouds)).  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2024-08-13. Score: 0

Better if you write the English you want to express in Chinese, then the Chinese you have for that, then ask if the Chinese is correct.

When are we leaving?  
我们什么时候走？

When did we leave?  
我们什么时候走的？

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That is de, the possession particle? I don't understand how that would show/turn something that has already happened in the past.  
> **username_6**: I think you probably would not write, "When did we gone?" in English. Think of: We are leaving. We left.  走了 matches gone or left here. So-called Past Participles are descriptive words, corresponding with the Western Grammar categories noun or adjective, as is the phrase 走的。Chinese does not play by the same rules as English, you shouldn't try to force it to do that.  

---

