How to say "what time is it?" in Chinese

When To Use It

"what time is it?" maps to 现在几点了？ (xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?), a neutral communication phrase for everyday situations.

Communication repair phrases are high-value because they buy you time and keep conversations from breaking down.

Practice it first exactly as written, then swap in your own people, places, or objects so it becomes part of your active speaking repertoire.

Tone And Delivery

The register is neutral, which makes it flexible: safe in most daily situations without sounding stiff or overly intimate.

Because this is marked beginner, you should aim to recognize it instantly and reuse it with your own names, nouns, locations, or numbers.

A good practice target is the example sentence 不好意思，现在几点了？ (bù hǎo yìsi, xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?). Once that feels natural, shorten your pause and try it at conversation speed.

Practice Ideas

This phrase becomes more useful when you learn it as part of a mini-sequence. After saying it, a natural next step could be 今天是星期几？ (jīntiān shì xīngqī jǐ?).

A second nearby phrase to review is 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào), which helps you stay in the same topic instead of translating from scratch again.

• Read the example “Excuse me, what time is it?” aloud, then replace one detail with your own information.
• Pair it with “What day is today?” next so your conversation does not stop after a single line.
• Match the phrase to your tone of voice: soft for polite requests, flatter and quicker for routine daily use.
• If you hear a slightly different version in the wild, compare the tone and context before treating it as interchangeable.