现在几点？
xiànzài jǐ diǎn?
What time is it now · trad. 現在幾點？
现在几点？ (Xiànzài jǐ diǎn) is the standard way to ask "What time is it now?" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used in everyday situations when you need to know the current time.
What does 现在几点？ (xiànzài jǐ diǎn?) mean?
现在几点？ (xiànzài jǐ diǎn?) means “what time is it now” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “now what o'clock?”
When to use it
Neutral and polite. To ask "What time is it?" without emphasizing "now," you can simply say 几点？ (jǐ diǎn). When someone asks you, a common reply is "现在三点。" (Xiànzài sān diǎn., "It's three o'clock now.")
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "SHYEN-zai jee DYEN." The tones are 4th, 4th, 3rd, 3rd. When two third tones like 几点 are together, the first one (几) often shifts to a rising (second) tone, so it's more like "SHYEN-zai JÍ DYEN."
Other ways to say it
- 几点了？jǐ diǎn le?What time is it already?
- 几点？jǐ diǎn?What time is it? (more concise)
- 现在是几点？xiànzài shì jǐ diǎn?What time is it now? (slightly more formal)
Examples
现在几点？我们快迟到了。
xiànzài jǐ diǎn? wǒmen kuài chídào le.
What time is it now? We're going to be late.
请问，现在几点？
qǐngwèn, xiànzài jǐ diǎn?
Excuse me, what time is it now?
现在是下午两点。
xiànzài shì xiàwǔ liǎng diǎn.
It's two o'clock in the afternoon now.
Pro tip: 几 (jǐ) is used to ask for a small number (usually under ten), and the answer will be a specific number like 三点 (sān diǎn, 3 o'clock). For larger or unknown numbers, you'd typically use 多少 (duōshao).
Related phrases
怎么办？ · What should we do你在干什么？ · What are you doing今天星期几？ · What day is it today
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