Home›Lesson Plans›World Languages›Mandarin Chinese · Grade 5

Mandarin Time — 时间

Fifth graders learn to tell time in Mandarin — 现在几点? (xiànzài jǐ diǎn?), 三点 (sān diǎn) — so they can ask and say what time it is in Chinese.

Grade 5Shíjiān45 minutes1 class periodACTFL / CommunicativeExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Ask the time.
  • ✓Say the o’clock.
  • ✓Use 点 (diǎn).
  • ✓Tell time in Mandarin.
Essential Question

现在几点? (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn? — What time is it?) Let’s learn to tell time in Mandarin — 时间 (shíjiān)!

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Mandarin Time Check

Project each item and have students answer about telling time in Mandarin.

🕒 Understand Mandarin timeTry it
Answer each question about telling time in Mandarin.
The Lesson · Communicative Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — 现在几点?

5 min

What time is it? Let’s learn to tell time in Mandarin!

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Point to a clock.
  • Ask how to say it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Shíjiān

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Mandarin Time Check.
  • Note “…点” for o’clock.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Repeat.
3

Practice — Practice

12 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say an o’clock time.
  • Read a clock.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Read it.
  • Say.
4

Speak — Speak

11 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask “现在几点?”
  • Answer with the time.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask it.
  • Answer.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask the time.
  • Say “三点.”
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice-Mid).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand time expressions.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: ask and tell time.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to math and schedules.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare telling time.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Clock cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ 点.”
  • Use a demo clock.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with o’clock times.
  • Use a clock.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add 分 (minutes) and 半 (half).
  • Say your daily schedule.
  • Read many clocks.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🕒A demo clock
  • 💻Mandarin Time Check
  • 🗣️Audio
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

时间 (shíjiān)time现在几点 (xiànzài jǐ diǎn)what time is it?点 (diǎn)o’clock分 (fēn)minute半 (bàn)half小时 (xiǎoshí)hour早上 (zǎoshang)morning晚上 (wǎnshang)evening
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does “现在几点?” mean?
What time is it now?
QUESTION 2
What does “三点 (sān diǎn)” mean?
Three o’clock.
QUESTION 3
What does “点 (diǎn)” mean?
O’clock.

Reflect: 时间.

Have students ask “现在几点?” and answer with an o’clock time in Mandarin. A printable time sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Mandarin Time (Shíjiān)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Mandarin Time (Shíjiān)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Mandarin Time (Shíjiān)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: 分 (fēn), 半 (bàn), 小时 (xiǎoshí), 早上 (zǎoshang), 时间 (shíjiān), 晚上 (wǎnshang), 点 (diǎn), 现在几点 (xiànzài jǐ diǎn)
  1. minute
  2. morning
  3. what time is it?
  4. evening
  5. half
  6. o’clock
  7. time
  8. hour

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does “现在几点?” mean?
  2. What does “三点 (sān diǎn)” mean?
  3. What does “点 (diǎn)” mean?
Answer key — Part A: 1) 分 (fēn) · 2) 早上 (zǎoshang) · 3) 现在几点 (xiànzài jǐ diǎn) · 4) 晚上 (wǎnshang) · 5) 半 (bàn) · 6) 点 (diǎn) · 7) 时间 (shíjiān) · 8) 小时 (xiǎoshí)
Part B: 1) What time is it now? 2) Three o’clock. 3) O’clock.