Time & Scheduling
beginner时间安排
Master telling time, talking about dates, and making appointments in Chinese — from clock readings and calendar terms to scheduling meetings and describing duration.
39 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
39 words — click any row for an example sentence
Clock Time
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 点 | diǎn | o'clock (hour marker) | measure word |
| 分 | fēn | minute | measure word |
| 半 | bàn | half (half past) | other |
| 刻 | kè | quarter (of an hour) | measure word |
| 差 | chà | to lack / before (in time) | verb |
| 上午 | shàngwǔ | morning (before noon) | noun |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon | noun |
| 晚上 | wǎnshang | evening / night | noun |
| 中午 | zhōngwǔ | noon / midday | noun |
Calendar
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今天 | jīntiān | today | noun |
| 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow | noun |
| 昨天 | zuótiān | yesterday | noun |
| 星期 | xīngqī | week / day of the week | noun |
| 月 | yuè | month | noun |
| 号 | hào | date (day of the month) | noun |
| 年 | nián | year | noun |
| 后天 | hòutiān | the day after tomorrow | noun |
| 前天 | qiántiān | the day before yesterday | noun |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | noun |
Scheduling
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 约 | yuē | to make an appointment / to arrange to meet | verb |
| 预约 | yùyuē | to make a reservation / to book | verb |
| 取消 | qǔxiāo | to cancel | verb |
| 改时间 | gǎi shíjiān | to change the time / to reschedule | verb |
| 准时 | zhǔnshí | on time / punctual | adverb |
| 迟到 | chídào | to be late / to arrive late | verb |
| 提前 | tíqián | in advance / ahead of time | adverb |
| 推迟 | tuīchí | to postpone / to delay | verb |
| 安排 | ānpái | to arrange / arrangement / schedule | verb |
| 有空 | yǒu kòng | to be free / to have free time | verb |
| 没空 | méi kòng | to not be free / to not have time | verb |
Duration
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 多长时间 | duō cháng shíjiān | how long (duration) | phrase |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour | noun |
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute (duration) | noun |
| 秒 | miǎo | second | noun |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a little while / in a moment | noun |
| 来得及 | lái de jí | to have enough time / to be able to make it | verb |
| 来不及 | lái bù jí | to not have enough time / too late | verb |
| 早 | zǎo | early | adjective |
| 晚 | wǎn | late | adjective |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
现在几点了？
Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?
What time is it now?
Asking someone for the current time.
你什么时候有空？
Nǐ shénme shíhou yǒu kòng?
When are you free?
Asking someone about their availability before scheduling.
我们约个时间吧。
Wǒmen yuē ge shíjiān ba.
Let us set a time.
Suggesting that both parties agree on a meeting time.
对不起，我来晚了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.
Sorry, I am late.
Apologizing for arriving late to a meeting or event.
能不能改个时间？
Néng bù néng gǎi ge shíjiān?
Can we change the time?
Requesting to reschedule an appointment.
我想预约挂号。
Wǒ xiǎng yùyuē guàhào.
I would like to make a doctor's appointment.
Booking a medical appointment, commonly done by phone or app in China.
你迟到了十分钟。
Nǐ chídào le shí fēnzhōng.
You are ten minutes late.
Pointing out that someone arrived late.
请提前十分钟到。
Qǐng tíqián shí fēnzhōng dào.
Please arrive ten minutes early.
A common request for formal events or important meetings.
这个周末你有什么安排？
Zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu shénme ānpái?
What plans do you have this weekend?
Asking about weekend plans before suggesting an activity.
差不多到时间了。
Chàbuduō dào shíjiān le.
It is almost time.
Indicating that a scheduled event is about to start.
时间过得真快！
Shíjiān guò de zhēn kuài!
Time flies!
Expressing surprise at how quickly time has passed.
还要等多久？
Hái yào děng duō jiǔ?
How much longer do we have to wait?
Asking about remaining wait time, for example at a restaurant or hospital.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Making a Doctor's Appointment by Phone
A patient calls a clinic to schedule an appointment with a doctor.
Speaker A
你好，我想预约看病。
Speaker B
好的，请问您想约哪天？
Speaker A
明天下午可以吗？
Speaker B
明天下午两点有一个号，三点半还有一个，您选哪个？
Speaker A
三点半吧。请问要提前多久到？
Speaker B
请提前十五分钟来挂号。请带上您的身份证。
Speaker A
好的，谢谢！如果临时有事，可以取消吗？
Speaker B
可以，请至少提前两个小时取消。
Cultural note: In China, booking doctor appointments often involves a registration system called 挂号 (guàhào). Popular hospitals can have very long wait times, and many people now use apps to book appointments in advance.
Rescheduling a Dinner
Two friends try to find a time to have dinner together but keep running into scheduling conflicts.
Speaker A
我们好久没一起吃饭了，这周约一下吧？
Speaker B
好啊！你周三晚上有空吗？
Speaker A
周三不行，我要加班。周四怎么样？
Speaker B
周四我也没空，我有个约会。要不改到周六吧？
Speaker A
周六可以！几点呢？
Speaker B
晚上六点半在老地方见面？
Speaker A
没问题！这次你可别迟到啊，上次你迟到了半个小时。
Speaker B
放心，我一定准时到！
Cultural note: In Chinese social culture, it is common for plans to shift multiple times before a final time is agreed upon. The phrase 老地方 (lǎo dìfang — the usual place) is frequently used between close friends who have a regular meeting spot.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Time & Scheduling Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
36 of 39 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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