HSK 3
一刻钟
yī kè zhōng
quarter hour (duration)
Structure
Verb + (Object) + 一刻钟 / Number + 刻 + 钟
How it works
The term '一刻钟' (yī kè zhōng) is used to express a duration of fifteen minutes or a 'quarter hour'. In Chinese, '刻' (kè) specifically refers to a 15-minute interval on a clock, and '钟' (zhōng) is often added to indicate time duration.
Examples
他跑了一刻钟。
Tā pǎo le yí kè zhōng.
He ran for a quarter of an hour.
请等我一刻钟。
Qǐng děng wǒ yí kè zhōng.
Please wait for me for fifteen minutes.
休息一刻钟再走吧。
Xiūxi yí kè zhōng zài zǒu ba.
Let's rest for fifteen minutes before leaving.
Common mistakes
Do not use '一刻钟' as a timestamp (like 'at 1:15') without a hour; for timestamps, use '点' first (e.g., 一点一刻).
Tip
While '十五分钟' and '一刻钟' both mean 15 minutes, '一刻钟' sounds slightly more formal and is very common in spoken Chinese when referring to the quarter mark.
More HSK 3 grammar
See 一刻钟 in real Chinese
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