GRADE 8 Mandarin Chinese Time- LISTENING AND SPEAKING – Oral Expression Notes
Mandarin Chinese — Time (Listening & Speaking)
Subtopic: Oral Expression
- a) Distinguish familiar and unfamiliar words and phrases about time in spoken texts.
- b) Respond to simple questions clearly and logically (e.g., asking/answering time).
- c) Appreciate the importance of listening attentively while communicating about schedules and times.
- d) Address the categories: oral expression, active listening, and comprehension (in time-related speech).
Grammar notes — Time expressions and sentence structure
1. Basic pattern for telling time
2. Questions about time
3. Placement of time words in sentences
X 点 Y 分 — hour + 点 + minute + 分
Example: 现在是三点五分。 (Xiànzài shì sān diǎn wǔ fēn — It is 3:05.)
Example: 现在是三点五分。 (Xiànzài shì sān diǎn wǔ fēn — It is 3:05.)
Half hour: X 点半 — e.g., 三点半 (3:30).
Quarter: 一刻 = 15 minutes; three quarters not common — use 差 (see below).
Quarter: 一刻 = 15 minutes; three quarters not common — use 差 (see below).
To the hour (minutes before): 差 + N 分 + X 点 — e.g., 差五分四点 (It is 3:55, literally "5 minutes to 4").
Alternative spoken: 五点差五分 is less common; use 差 + 分 + 点.
Alternative spoken: 五点差五分 is less common; use 差 + 分 + 点.
AM / PM: 上午 (morning), 中午 (noon), 下午 (afternoon), 晚上 (evening).
Example: 我下午两点上学。 (Wǒ xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn shàngxué — I go to school at 2 PM.)
Example: 我下午两点上学。 (Wǒ xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn shàngxué — I go to school at 2 PM.)
几点？ — short question: 几点？ (What time?)
Full: 现在几点？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn? — What time is it now?)
Full: 现在几点？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn? — What time is it now?)
什么时候？ — asks "when" for events: 你什么时候去学校？ (When do you go to school?)
Time expressions normally come before the verb (as an adverbial):
Example: 我 下午三点 上学。 (Wǒ xiàwǔ sān diǎn shàngxué — I go to school at 3 PM.)
4. Using 了 (completed action marker) with time
Example: 我 下午三点 上学。 (Wǒ xiàwǔ sān diǎn shàngxué — I go to school at 3 PM.)
Use verb + 了 to show an action is finished. When you mention a time that already passed, you often use 了:
Example: 他三点来了。 (Tā sān diǎn lái le — He arrived at 3 o'clock.)
Example: 他三点来了。 (Tā sān diǎn lái le — He arrived at 3 o'clock.)
Key vocabulary (characters — pinyin — English)
点 (diǎn) — o'clock, hour
分 (fēn) — minute
半 (bàn) — half (30 minutes)
分 (fēn) — minute
半 (bàn) — half (30 minutes)
上午 (shàngwǔ) — morning
中午 (zhōngwǔ) — noon
下午 (xiàwǔ) — afternoon
中午 (zhōngwǔ) — noon
下午 (xiàwǔ) — afternoon
晚上 (wǎnshàng) — evening/night
现在 (xiànzài) — now
什么时候 (shénme shíhou) — when
现在 (xiànzài) — now
什么时候 (shénme shíhou) — when
Numbers for hours (1–12): 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí), 十一 (shí yī), 十二 (shí èr).
Model dialogues (oral expression practice)
Dialogue A — Asking the time
A: 现在几点？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?)
B: 现在是八点半。 (Xiànzài shì bā diǎn bàn — It is 8:30.)
A: 现在几点？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?)
B: 现在是八点半。 (Xiànzài shì bā diǎn bàn — It is 8:30.)
Dialogue B — School schedule (Kenyan context)
A: 你几点上学？ (Nǐ jǐ diǎn shàngxué?)
B: 我早上八点上学。 (Wǒ zǎoshang bā diǎn shàngxué — I go to school at 8 AM.)
A: 你几点上学？ (Nǐ jǐ diǎn shàngxué?)
B: 我早上八点上学。 (Wǒ zǎoshang bā diǎn shàngxué — I go to school at 8 AM.)
Short answers (clear and logical)
Q: 现在几点？ — 三点。/ 现在是三点整。 (Short answer vs full sentence)
Q: 现在几点？ — 三点。/ 现在是三点整。 (Short answer vs full sentence)
Active listening & comprehension (oral skills)
- Listen for time words first (点, 分, 半, 上午/下午). These are anchors to understand the message.
- Note the position of the time phrase — usually before the verb. This helps predict the rest of the sentence.
- Distinguish familiar vs unfamiliar words: if you hear an unfamiliar time word, focus on surrounding known words (e.g., 上午, 三点) to infer meaning.
- Repeat (paraphrase) what you heard: say the time back in Chinese to confirm (e.g., “八点半”) — this practices clear response.
Suggested learning experiences (age 13, Kenyan context)
- Teacher-led listening drill: teacher says times aloud (use different speeds). Learners hold up flashcards showing the written time (数字 or clock drawing) and say the time in Chinese.
- Pair role-play: one student asks 你几点上学？ / 现在几点？; partner answers with long or short responses. Switch roles. Use Kenyan daily schedule (wake-up time, school start, lunch).
- "Clock Bingo": teacher calls out times in Chinese; students mark on bingo sheet. First to get a line reads each winning time aloud.
- Listening comprehension: play a short spoken paragraph about a student's day (e.g., 我早上七点起床...); students write the times they hear and then say them out loud in Chinese.
- Error detection: teacher reads sentences with one wrong time phrase; students listen carefully and correct it (practices active listening).
- Sentence construction: given a schedule (in English or Kiswahili), students convert each time-sentence to Chinese using correct grammar order (time before verb).
Practice tasks (for classroom or homework)
- Write and say five sentences about your daily routine using time phrases (e.g., 我早上六点起床。).
- Listen to the teacher say 10 times; write them in characters and pinyin, then read them aloud.
- In pairs, ask and answer 6 questions about each other's schedules using 什么时候 and 几点.
🕗 8:00 — 八点 (bā diǎn)
🕢 8:30 — 八点半 (bā diǎn bàn)
🕘 9:00 — 九点 (jiǔ diǎn)