![\"\u6f22\u5b57\u306e\u6642\u8a08](\"http:\/\/akikolingoland.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/clock-chi-characters.jpg\")
<\/a>\u6f22\u5b57\u306e\u6642\u8a08 Clock with Chinese characters<\/p><\/div>\n
Looking at the clock, you’ll see that for every five minutes, one ‘\u5b57’ is marked. ‘\u5b57’ means ‘word’ or ‘character’ in Chinese. I am not sure if this was how this way of expressing time evolved, but in any case I think it is simple and logical.<\/p>\n
Some examples here:<\/p>\n
\u5341\u70b9\u96f6\u4e94\u5206sh\u00ed di\u01cen l\u00edng w\u01d4 f\u0113n\uff1a \u5341\u70b9\u5341\u5206sh\u00ed di\u01cen sh\u00ed f\u0113n\uff1a \u5341\u70b9\u5341\u4e94\u5206sh\u00ed di\u01cen sh\u00edw\u01d4 f\u0113n\uff1a And, just like how in Standard Mandarin, we often omit the last word ‘\u5206’, similarly in Singaporean Mandarin, we also often drop off the final ‘\uff08\u4e2a\uff09\u5b57’. So we end up saying, for example, ‘\u5341\u70b9\u4e09’.<\/p>\n Let’s look at the above clock again. The minute hand points to somewhere between 7 and 8 minutes. How many ‘\u5b57’ would it be then? We say ‘\u4e00\u4e2a\u5b57\u534ay\u00ed g\u00e8 z\u00ec b\u00e0n’. What a convenient way of saying time isn’t it!<\/p>\n During class, after teaching the standard ways of saying time, I usually introduce this as some form of ‘dessert’. This is important because you cannot avoid hearing this from the locals. You don’t have to use it, but it’d be good to understand what it means. Although I touch on this, I do not use it as conversation practice material. But one day after class, one student beamed at me and said, “\u4e0b\u661f\u671f x<\/span> \u70b9 x<\/span> \u4e2a\u5b57\u89c1\uff01xi\u00e0 x\u012bngq\u012b x<\/span> di\u01cen x<\/span> g\u00e8 z\u00ec ji\u00e0n” (See you next week at x<\/span>\u00a0hr x<\/span> min). I couldn’t help break out laughing.<\/p>\n To top it off, his pronunciation was flawless. What a perfect rendition of a ‘non-standard’ expression! Quite apparently he bore in mind the axiom ‘\u5165\u4e61\u968f\u4fd7r\u00f9 xi\u0101ng su\u00ed s\u00fa’ (when in Rome, do as the Romans do), and certainly made it a point to ‘\u5b66\u4ee5\u81f4\u7528xu\u00e9 y\u01d0 zh\u00ec y\u00f2ng’ (applying what one has learned)!<\/p>\n 04 ru xiang sui su<\/a> <\/p>\n *As a measure word, ‘\u4e2a’ should be pronounced in neutral tone in Standard Mandarin. However there is no neutral tone in Singaporean Mandarin.<\/p>\n Watch this video to learn how to tell the time!
\n\u5341\u70b9\u4e00\u4e2a\u5b57sh\u00ed di\u01cen y\u00ed g\u00e8 z\u00ec
\n01 shi dian ling wu<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u5341\u70b9\u4e24\u4e2a\u5b57sh\u00ed di\u01cen li\u01ceng g\u00e8 z\u00ec
\n02 shi dian shi<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u5341\u70b9\u4e09\u4e2a\u5b57sh\u00ed di\u01cen s\u0101n g\u00e8 z\u00ec
\n03 shi dian shiwu<\/a><\/p>\n
\n05 xue yi zhi yong<\/a><\/p>\n
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