"现在两点整。"
Translation:It's two o'clock sharp.
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I might say sharp if specifying a future appointment or something similar but not when describing the present moment.
That is how we are taught, but it appears that 两 has a lot of exceptions where we might be tempted to use 二. Here's a link that has a lot of examples and you can see many of them don't use a measure word. https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22er%22_and_%22liang%22
It's two o 'clock exactly. Was NOT accepted. 整 zhěng also means exact.
Marked wrong for saying "2:00 sharp" instead of "2 o'clock sharp" lol. They mean the exact same thing.
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It's now 2 o'clock not accepted 7Dec'21.Chinese has 现在 but apparently no now in their English translation
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OED defines ‘sharp’ (in this context) as “precisely at the time specified”; it defines ‘exactly’ in a more general sense meaning “accurately, precisely ...”. I wonder if 整 has than sense of “exactly (and precisely) at the time named, with a particular attention to the punctuality”. If it does, then ‘sharp’ is the appropriate translation. If not, then “it is now exactly two o’clock” or “it is now precisely two o’clock”, or even just “it is now two o’clock” would do. “It is now two o’clock precisely” has a particular cultural meaning, as the old British speaking clock used that format: “At the third stroke it will be two o’clock precisely … beep, beep, beep.”
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I think this may have been said already, but "sharp" is used about a future appointment, maybe the starting time of a party, but it isn't used to refer to the time right now. If someone asks the time they obviously want the current time, not what it was or will be
两 is used for 2 of something. That also includes time. In Chinese they will say something like I need 两 hours to do something. So yes in some cases they do treat time like an object just like we do in English. It also has the definitions of both, some, and a few. The other more simple reason is 二 is ONLY used in counting.
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When i say "It's two o'clock", I mean that it's two o'clock. I don't have to add "sharp" or "exactly".
Reading through many peoples' grievances here Duo should simply start accepting any "non-blank" answer to keep people happy.
Should it really matter whether anyone understands the Chinese characters and grammar subtleties?
Not much or at all... because there is no way of displaying it during this "most answers are right and ignore what doesn't fit the answer" movement.
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I just did this same question twice and “It’s now 2 o’clock sharp” was accepted; as was “it’s now exactly 2 o’clock”.
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“I’ll see you at 10:00” - five minutes either side isn’t an issue.
“I’ll see you at 10:00 sharp” - if you aren’t there you’ll miss the party.
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“The train leaves at 11 o’clock.” “Is that 11 o’clock sharp?” “No - three minutes past”.
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“The train leaves at 11 o’clock.” “My train arrives at 11.01 - will I be able to catch it?” “No, it leaves at 11 o’clock sharp”
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“The train leaves at 11 o’clock.” “My train arrives at 11.01 - will I be able to catch it?” “Yes - the exact time it leaves is 11:05.”
It is not. The addition is used in English to indicate an exact time.