Reading Prices and Clock Times
Prices (钱数): - 元/块 (yuán/kuài) = yuan (1 yuan) - 毛/角 (máo/jiǎo) = jiao (0.1 yuan) - 分 (fēn) = fen (0.01 yuan) - Example: 3.50元 → 三块五 (spoken) or 三元五角 (formal)
Clock Times (时刻):
- X点 = X o'clock
- X点Y分 = X:Y (hours and minutes)
- 半 = half past → 两点半 = 2:30
- 差X分Y点 = Y:00 minus X minutes → 差五分八点 = 7:55
Examples:
- 8:00 → 八点
- 10:30 → 十点半
- 2:15 → 两点十五分
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这本书三十块钱。 | Zhè běn shū sān shí kuài qián. | This book costs 30 yuan. | Price: Number + 块 + 钱 (optional) |
| 现在是下午两点半。 | Xiàn zài shì xià wǔ liǎng diǎn bàn. | It is now 2:30 PM. | Time: 两点半 = 2:30; use 两 not 二 for 2 o'clock |
| 差五分九点。 | Chà wǔ fēn jiǔ diǎn. | It's five minutes to nine (8:55). | 差X分Y点 = Y:00 minus X minutes |
What this opens up
These patterns list Reading Prices and Clock Times among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Reading Prices and Clock Times is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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