一、所有的时间都可以用“小时 分钟”直接读:
6:10 six ten
8:30 eight thirty
2:40 two forty
二、如果所表述的时间在半小时之内,可以用“分钟 past 小时”:
6:10 ten past six
4:20 twenty past four
10:25 twenty-five past ten
三、如果所表述的时间在半小时之外,可以用“(相差的)分钟 to (下一)小时”:
10:35 twenty-five to eleven
5:50 ten to six
9:49 eleven to ten
四、如果所表述的时间恰好为半小时,可以用“half past 小时”:
11:30 half past eleven
2:30 half past two
五、如果所表述的分钟和15有关,就有三种表达法:
(15分钟又叫一刻钟:a quarter)
9:15 nine fifteen ; fifteen past nine ; a quarter past nine
3:45 three forty-five ; fifteen to four ; a quarter to four
六、整点的表达:
现在是两点整。It's two./It's two o'clock.
另外英语中的 noon 和midnight 可分别直接表示白天和夜晚的12点:
It's (twelve) noon. 现在是中午十二点。
It's (twelve) midnight. 现在是半夜零点。
七、大约时间:
It's almost two. 马上到两点了。
It's not quite two. 还不到两点。
It's just after two. 刚过两点。
八、若想表明是上午,可在时间后加上a.m.
如:thirteen past six a.m.(上午六点十三分)。
若想表明是下午,可在时间后加上p.m.
如:four o'clock p.m.(下午四点)。
九、句子范例
1. It's nine forty-five. =It's a quarter to ten.
2. It's two seventeen. =It's seventeen past two.
3. It's three. =It's three o'clock.
4. It's nine thirty. =It's half past nine.
5. It's six fifteen. =It's a quarter past six.
6. It's three fifty. =It's ten to four.