xiǎoshí: 小时 - Hour, Period of Time

• Keywords: 小时, xiaoshi, Chinese for hour, how to say hour in Chinese, measure word for time, Chinese time, 钟头 (zhongtou), 点 (dian), telling time in Mandarin, HSK 1 vocabulary, learn Chinese
• Summary: Learn how to say and use “hour” in Mandarin Chinese with our complete guide to 小时 (xiǎoshí). This entry breaks down the characters, explains the critical difference between 小时 (xiǎoshí) for duration and 点 (diǎn) for a point in time, and provides over 10 practical examples. Understand this essential HSK 1 word for discussing schedules, travel time, and daily routines in any Chinese conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xiǎo shí
• Part of Speech: Noun / Measure Word
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A unit of time equal to 60 minutes; an hour.
• In a Nutshell: 小时 (xiǎoshí) is the standard and most common word for “hour” in Chinese. It's used to measure a duration of time. If you want to say how long something takes—like a two-hour movie, a one-hour meeting, or an eight-hour workday—this is the word you need. It's a fundamental concept for managing your schedule and talking about your day in Mandarin.

• 小 (xiǎo): This character means “small” or “little.” It's one of the simplest characters, originally a pictogram of three small dots representing something tiny, like grains of sand.
• 时 (shí): This character means “time” or “period.” It's a combination of the radical 日 (rì), meaning “sun,” and the phonetic component 寺 (sì). The use of the “sun” radical points to the ancient method of tracking time by observing the sun's position.
• How they combine: Together, 小时 (xiǎoshí) literally means “small time.” This logically distinguishes this unit of time from larger ones like 天 (tiān - day) or 年 (nián - year). It's a simple, descriptive, and intuitive name for an hour.

While the concept of a 60-minute hour is universal, the Chinese term 小时 (xiǎoshí) offers a glimpse into the logic of the language. Unlike the English word “hour,” which has opaque origins from Ancient Greek, 小时 (xiǎoshí) is transparently “small time.” This reflects a common feature in modern Chinese, where complex ideas are often built from simple, logical character components. In terms of cultural values, using 小时 (xiǎoshí) accurately is key to demonstrating punctuality and reliability, which are highly valued in Chinese business and formal settings. An appointment at `三点 (sān diǎn - 3 o'clock)` is expected to be on time. However, when describing a duration, it's common to add words like `左右 (zuǒyòu - around/approximately)`, showing a bit more flexibility. For instance, saying a journey takes `五个小时左右 (wǔ ge xiǎoshí zuǒyòu)` means “around five hours,” which is a very common and natural way of speaking.

小时 (xiǎoshí) is a universally used term in all contexts, from formal written documents to casual everyday conversation. It is the default, neutral word for “hour.”

1. – Measuring Duration —

This is the primary function of 小时. It answers the question “how long?”.

• A flight takes ten hours (十个小时).
• You need to cook it for one hour (一个小时).
• I exercise for half an hour every day (半个小时).

1. – Colloquial Usage —

In spoken Chinese, especially in northern regions, you will frequently hear 钟头 (zhōngtóu) used interchangeably with 小时. They mean the same thing, but 小时 is slightly more formal and is the standard for writing, while 钟头 is purely colloquial.

• I waited for two hours:
  • Standard: 我等了两个小时。(Wǒ děng le liǎng ge xiǎoshí.)
  • Colloquial: 我等了两个钟头。(Wǒ děng le liǎng ge zhōngtóu.)

• Example 1:
  • 我每天工作八个小时。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měitiān gōngzuò bā ge xiǎoshí.
  • English: I work for eight hours every day.
  • Analysis: A classic example of stating the duration of a daily activity. Note the use of the measure word `个 (ge)`.
• Example 2:
  • 我们一个小时后在咖啡馆见。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yí ge xiǎoshí hòu zài kāfēiguǎn jiàn.
  • English: Let's meet at the coffee shop in one hour.
  • Analysis: This shows how to talk about a future event relative to the present time. `[duration] + 后 (hòu)` means “after [duration]”.
• Example 3:
  • 从北京到上海坐高铁要五个小时左右。
  • Pinyin: Cóng Běijīng dào Shànghǎi zuò gāotiě yào wǔ ge xiǎoshí zuǒyòu.
  • English: It takes around five hours to get from Beijing to Shanghai by high-speed rail.
  • Analysis: The word `左右 (zuǒyòu)` is frequently used with `小时` to mean “approximately” or “about.”
• Example 4:
  • 你每天晚上学习几小时？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ měitiān wǎnshang xuéxí jǐ xiǎoshí?
  • English: How many hours do you study every evening?
  • Analysis: `几 (jǐ)` is used to ask “how many” for numbers expected to be relatively small (e.g., under 10 or 12).
• Example 5:
  • 我等了你半个小时！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ děng le nǐ bàn ge xiǎoshí!
  • English: I waited for you for half an hour!
  • Analysis: `半 (bàn)` means “half.” `半个小时 (bàn ge xiǎoshí)` is the standard way to say “half an hour.”
• Example 6:
  • 这部电影太长了，有三个小时。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng tài cháng le, yǒu sān ge xiǎoshí.
  • English: This movie is too long; it's three hours.
  • Analysis: Using `有 (yǒu)` here means “it has a length of…” or simply “it is.”
• Example 7:
  • 这家商店的午休时间是一个小时。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā shāngdiàn de wǔxiū shíjiān shì yí ge xiǎoshí.
  • English: This store's lunch break is one hour long.
  • Analysis: A more formal/official use of the term in the context of business hours.
• Example 8:
  • 开车去机场至少需要一个半小时。
  • Pinyin: Kāichē qù jīchǎng zhìshǎo xūyào yí ge bàn xiǎoshí.
  • English: Driving to the airport requires at least one and a half hours.
  • Analysis: `一个半小时 (yí ge bàn xiǎoshí)` is the correct structure for “one and a half hours.”
• Example 9:
  • 他睡了不到六个小时就起床了。
  • Pinyin: Tā shuì le bú dào liù ge xiǎoshí jiù qǐchuáng le.
  • English: He slept for less than six hours and then got up.
  • Analysis: `不到 (bú dào)` means “less than” or “not yet,” used here to specify an upper limit on the duration.
• Example 10:
  • 这个充电宝可以提供十小时的电量。
  • Pinyin: Zhè ge chōngdiànbǎo kěyǐ tígōng shí xiǎoshí de diànliàng.
  • English: This power bank can provide ten hours of charge.
  • Analysis: In this more technical or written-style sentence, the measure word `个 (ge)` can be omitted, making it sound more concise. `十个小时` is also perfectly correct.

• Mistake 1: Confusing 小时 (xiǎoshí) with 点 (diǎn)
  • This is the most common mistake for beginners.
  • 小时 (xiǎoshí): Measures a duration. (How long?)
  • 点 (diǎn): Names a point in time. (What time?)
  • Correct: 会议是三点开始，会开两个小时。(Huìyì shì sān diǎn kāishǐ, huì kāi liǎng ge xiǎoshí.) → The meeting starts at 3 o'clock and will last for two hours.
  • Incorrect: 会议是三个小时开始。(Huìyì shì sān ge xiǎoshí kāishǐ.) → This incorrectly says “The meeting starts at three hours.”
• Mistake 2: Forgetting the measure word 个 (ge)
  • When using a number before `小时`, you almost always need to include the measure word `个 (ge)`. The main exception is in very concise, written statements. When in doubt, use `个`.
  • Correct (and most common): 我看了两个小时的书。(Wǒ kàn le liǎng ge xiǎoshí de shū.)
  • Also Correct (more formal/abbreviated): 我看了一小时书。(Wǒ kàn le yì xiǎoshí shū.)
  • Incorrect: 我看了两小时书。(Wǒ kàn le liǎng xiǎoshí shū.) → Always use `两个 (liǎng ge)` for “two of something,” not `二个 (èr ge)` or `两 (liǎng)` by itself in this context.
• Nuance: 小时 (xiǎoshí) vs. 钟头 (zhōngtóu)
  • As mentioned earlier, `钟头 (zhōngtóu)` is a common colloquial alternative, especially in speech. Using it can make you sound more natural, but `小时` is always correct and is the only one you should use in writing.
  • Standard/Written: 停车费每小时十元。(Tíngchēfèi měi xiǎoshí shí yuán.) → Parking is 10 RMB per hour.
  • Colloquial/Spoken: 在这儿停一个钟头得十块钱。(Zài zhèr tíng yí ge zhōngtóu děi shí kuài qián.) → Parking here for an hour costs 10 bucks.

• 钟头 (zhōngtóu) - A colloquial synonym for `小时`, used mostly in spoken language.
• 点 (diǎn) - Means “o'clock” or “dot.” It refers to a specific point in time, not a duration.
• 分钟 (fēnzhōng) - “Minute.” A smaller unit of time; there are 60 `分钟` in one `小时`.
• 秒 (miǎo) - “Second.” The smallest common unit of time.
• 刻 (kè) - “Quarter of an hour” (15 minutes). For example, `三点一刻 (sān diǎn yí kè)` is 3:15.
• 时间 (shíjiān) - The general concept of “time.” `你有什么时间？(Nǐ yǒu shénme shíjiān?)` means “When are you free?”
• 半 (bàn) - “Half.” Used to form phrases like `半个小时 (bàn ge xiǎoshí)` for “half an hour.”
• 左右 (zuǒyòu) - “Around, about, approximately.” Often placed after a duration, e.g., `一个小时左右`.
• 两 (liǎng) - The number “two” used before measure words. You must say `两个小时 (liǎng ge xiǎoshí)`, not `二个小时 (èr ge xiǎoshí)`.