So, for 2:00, you just say
两点
liǎng diǎn
(Note: For 2 o’clock, use 两 liǎng instead of 二 èr.)
2:25
两点二十五(分)
liǎng diǎn èrshíwǔ (fēn)
Adding 分 (fēn, minute) is optional if it’s clear you’re talking about time.
For times like 3:05:
三点零五(分)
sān diǎn líng wǔ (fēn)
Here, 零 means “zero.” (Chinese requires the zero in “oh-five” times!)
2. Half past and Minutes To…
5:30
五点半
wǔ diǎn bàn
Easy! “Five o’clock half.”
7:58 (or “two to eight”):
差两分八点
chà liǎng fēn bā diǎn
差 (chà) means “to be short of / minus.” So this literally means “short of two minutes, eight o’clock,” i.e. 7:58.
Let’s meet Lili, Jianguo, and friends as they tell the time:
Lili: 现在几点？
(What time is it now?)
Zhiqiang: 现在五点半！
(It’s 5:30!)
Jianguo: 哎呀，快六点了！
(Aiya, almost six o’clock!)
Time for a quiz! Don’t worry, there’s no late penalty—but Jianguo might give you a stern look if you snooze through it…
1. It's 2 o'clock. 现在 。
2. It's 2:25. 现在 。
3. It's 3:05. 现在 。
4. It's 5:30. 现在 。
5. It's 7:58 (two minutes to 8). 现在 。
(Psst! Even Xiulan needed a second to get that last one—don’t worry, she won’t tell!)