一 、最直接的读法:“小时 + 分钟”:5:10 five ten、7:30 seven thirty、2:40 two forty
二 、巧用介词法:
(1)所表述的时间在30分钟之内,用“分钟 + past/after + 小时”:
6:10 ten past six(英式) / ten after six(美式)
4:20 twenty past four / twenty after four
10:25 twenty-five past ten / twenty-five after ten
(2)所表述的时间在30分钟之后,用“(相差的)分钟 + to/before + (下一)小时”:
10:35 twenty-five to eleven(英式 ) / twenty-five before eleven(美式)
5:50 ten to six / ten before six
9:49 eleven to ten / eleven before ten
(3) 所表述的时间恰好为半小时,用“half + past + 小时”:
11:30 half past eleven、2:30 half past two
(4) 所表述的分钟和15有关,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(英式)/a quarter after nine(美式)
3:45 - three forty-five ; fifteen to four ; a quarter to four/a quarter before four
(5)整点
现在是五点整。
It's five.
It's five o'clock.
It's five o'clock sharp.
It's five o'clock on the dot.
It's five o'clock on the nose.
It's exactly five o'clock.
三 、另外,还有这种情况:
Noon:表示白天的12点 , midnight:表示夜晚的12点
at noon正午12点,at midnight午夜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。
四 、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。
五 、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)。
六 、提前半小时
half an hour early / thirty minutes early / early by half an hour / half an hour ahead of time /half an hour ahead of schedule.