The traditional Chinese time systems refers to the time standards for divisions of the day used in China until the introduction of the Shixian calendar in 1628 at the beginning of the Qing dynasty. [1] [2]
The third chapter of the Huainanzi outlines 15 hours during daylight. These are dawn ( 晨明 ), morning light ( 朏明 ), daybreak ( 旦明 ), early meal ( 早食 ; 蚤食 ), feast meal ( 宴食 ), before noon ( 隅中 ), noon ( 正中 ), short shadow ( 少还 ; 小還 ), evening ( 𫗦时 ; 餔時 ; 'evening mealtime'), long shadow ( 大还 ; 大還 ), high setting ( 高舂 ), lower setting( 下舂 ), sunset ( 县东 ; 縣東 ), twilight ( 黄昏 ; 黃昏 ), rest time ( 定昏 ). [3] These are correlated to each hour from 06:00 to 20:00 on the 24-hour clock.
This system used two standards to measure the time in a solar day. Times during daylight were measured in the Shí-kè standard, and at night were measured using the Gēng-diǎn standard.
Heavenly stems | Earthly branches | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stem | Gēng | Branch | Shí (traditional) | Shí (Song dynasty) | |||||||
1 | jiǎ | 甲 | 19:12 | yìgēng | 1 | zǐ | 子 | 23:00 | 00:00 | ||
2 | yǐ | 乙 | 21:36 | èrgēng | 2 | chǒu | 丑 | 01:00 | 02:00 | ||
3 | bǐng | 丙 | 00:00 | sāngēng | 3 | yín | 寅 | 03:00 | 04:00 | ||
4 | dīng | 丁 | 02:24 | sìgēng | 4 | mǎo | 卯 | 05:00 | 06:00 | ||
5 | wù | 戊 | 04:48 | wǔgēng | 5 | chén | 辰 | 07:00 | 08:00 | ||
6 | jǐ | 己 | 07:12 | morning | 6 | sì | 巳 | 09:00 | 10:00 | ||
7 | gēng | 庚 | 09:36 | midmorning | 7 | wǔ | 午 | 11:00 | 12:00 | ||
8 | xīn | 辛 | 12:00 | noon | 8 | wèi | 未 | 13:00 | 14:00 | ||
9 | rén | 壬 | 14:24 | late afternoon | 9 | shēn | 申 | 15:00 | 16:00 | ||
10 | guǐ | 癸 | 16:48 | evening | 10 | yǒu | 酉 | 17:00 | 18:00 | ||
11 | xū | 戌 | 19:00 | 20:00 | |||||||
12 | hài | 亥 | 21:00 | 22:00 |
The Shí-kè ( 時 - 刻 ) system is derived from the position of the sun.
Each shí ( 時 ; 时 ) was 1⁄12 of the time between one midnight and the next, [2] making it roughly double the modern hour. These dual hours are named after the earthly branches in order, with midnight in the first shí. This first shí traditionally occurred from 23:00 to 01:00 on the 24-hour clock with midnight in the middle of the first shí, but was changed during the Song dynasty so that the first shí fell from 00:00 to 02:00 with midnight at the beginning of it. [2]
Starting from the end of the Tang Dynasty into the Song Dynasty, each shí was divided into two, with the first half of each shí called the initial hour ( 初 ) and the second called the central hour ( 正 ). [2] Using the change of the midnight hour and the first shí above, you could say that during the Song Dynasty midnight went from the central hour of the first shí ( 子 正 ) to the initial hour of the first shí ( 子 初 ).
Days were also divided into smaller units, called kè ( 刻 ). One kè was usually defined as 1⁄100 of a day until 1628, though there were short periods before then where days had 96, 108 or 120 kè. [2] Kè literally means "mark" or "engraving", referring to the marks placed on sundials [4] or water clocks [5] to help keep time.
Using the definition of kè as 1⁄100 of a day, each kè is equal to 0.24 hours, 14.4 minutes, or 14 minutes 24 seconds. Every shí will contain 81⁄3kè, with 7 or 8 full kè and partial beginning and/or ending kè. These fractional kè are multiples of 1⁄6kè, or 2 minutes 24 seconds. [lower-alpha 1] The 7 or 8 full kè within each shí were referred to as "major kè" ( 大刻 ). Each 1⁄6 of a kè was called a "minor kè" ( 小刻 ). [6]
Both shí and kè would be used to describe the time accurately. There are two ways of doing this.
zǐ
(子), zǐ 1 kè
(子一刻), zǐ 2 kè
(子二刻), zǐ 3 kè
(子三刻), zǐ 4 kè
(子四刻), zǐ 5 kè
(子五刻), zǐ 6 kè
(子六刻), zǐ 7 kè
(子七刻), zǐ 8 kè
(子八刻), chǒu
. (丑).xū 1 kè
(戌一刻), this would be read as "1 kè after xū shí", making the time 20:09:36.zǐ initial
(子初), zǐ initial 1 kè
(子初一刻), zǐ initial 2 kè
(子初二刻), zǐ initial 3 kè
(子初三刻), zǐ initial 4 kè
(子初四刻), zǐ central
[lower-alpha 2] (子正), zǐ central 1 kè
(子正一刻), zǐ central 2 kè
(子正二刻), zǐ central 3 kè
(子正三刻), zǐ central 4 kè
(子正四刻), chǒu initial
(丑初).sì central 3 kè
(巳正三刻), this would be read as "the third kè in the second half of sì", making the time 11:31:12.Kè were subdivided into smaller units, called fēn ( 分 ). The number of fēn in each kè varied over the centuries, [2] but a fēn was generally defined as 1⁄6000 of a day. [6] Using this definition, one fēn is equal to 14.4 seconds. This also means that a fēn is 1⁄60 of a major kè and 1⁄10 of a minor kè.
In 1280, Guo Shoujing's Shòushí Calendar ( 授时曆 ) had each fēn subdivided into 100 miǎo ( 秒 ). [7] Using the definition of fēn as 14.4 seconds, each miǎo was 144 milliseconds long.
This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in Chinese. (May 2018)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Each fen was subdivided into shùn ( 瞬 ), and shùn were subdivided into niàn ( 念 ).
The Mahāsāṃghika, translated into Chinese as the Móhēsēngzhī Lǜ (Taishō Tripiṭaka 1425) describes several units of time, including shùn or shùnqǐng ( 瞬頃 ; 'blink moment') and niàn. According to this text, niàn is the smallest unit of time at 18 milliseconds and a shùn is 360 milliseconds. [8] It also describes larger units of time, including a tánzhǐ ( 彈指 ) which is 7.2 seconds long, a luóyù ( 羅豫 ) which is 2 minutes 24 seconds long, and a xūyú ( 須臾 ), which is 1⁄30 of a day at 48 minutes long. [lower-alpha 3]
The Gēng-diǎn ( 更 - 點 ) system uses predetermined signals to define the time during the night.
Gēng ( 更 ) is a time signal given by drum or gong. The drum was sounded by the drum tower in city centers, and by night watchman hitting a gong in other areas.[ citation needed ] The character for gēng 更 , literally meaning "rotation" or "watch", comes from the rotation of watchmen sounding these signals.
The first gēng theoretically comes at sundown, but was standardized to fall at yǒu shí central 1 kè
, or 19:12. The time between each gēng is 1⁄10 of a day, making a gēng 2.4 hours—or 2 hours 24 minutes—long.
The 5 gēngs in the night are numbered from one to five: yì gēng ( 一 更 ) (alternately chū gēng ( 初更 ) for "initial watch"); èr gēng ( 二更 ); sān gēng ( 三更 ); sì gēng ( 四更 ); and wǔ gēng ( 五更 ). The 5 gēngs in daytime are named after times of day listed in the Book of Sui, which describes the legendary Yellow Emperor dividing the day and night into ten equal parts. They are morning ( 朝 ); midmorning, ( 禺 ); noon, ( 中 ); afternoon ( 晡 ); and evening ( 夕 ). [9]
As a 10-part system, the gēng are strongly associated with the 10 celestial stems, especially since the stems are used to count off the gēng during the night in Chinese literature. [9]
Diǎn ( 点 ; 點 ), or point, marked when the bell time signal was rung. The time signal was released by the drum tower or local temples.[ citation needed ]
Each diǎn or point is 1⁄60 of a day, making them 0.4 hours, or 24 minutes, long. Every sixth diǎn falls on the gēng, with the rest evenly dividing every gēng into 6 equal parts.
Gēng and diǎn were used together to precisely describe the time at night.
yìgēng
(一更), yìgēng 1 diǎn
(一更一点; 一更一點), yìgēng 2 diǎn
(一更二点; 一更二點), yìgēng 3 diǎn
(一更三点; 一更三點), yìgēng 4 diǎn
(一更四点; 一更四點), yìgēng 5 diǎn
(一更五点; 一更五點), èrgēng
(二更).sāngēng 2 diǎn
(三更二点; 三更二點), you would read it as "two diǎn after sāngēng", and find the time to be 00:48. [lower-alpha 4] The night length is inconsistent during a year. The nineteenth volume of the Book of Sui says that at the winter solstice, a day was measured to be 60% night, and at the summer solstice, only 40% night. [10] The official start of night thus had a variation from 0 to 1 gēng.
This variation was handled in different ways. From the start of the Western Han dynasty in 206 BC until 102 AD, yìgēng was moved back one kè every 9th day from the winter solstice to the summer solstice, and moved forward one kè every 9th day from summer solstice to the winter solstice. [10] The Xia Calendar ( 夏历 ; 夏曆 ), introduced in 102 AD, added or subtracted a kè to the start of night whenever the sun moved 2.5° north or south from its previous position. [10]
Diǎn | 00:00:00 Sāngēng | 00:24:00 Sāngēng 1 diǎn | 00:48:00 Sāngēng 2 diǎn | 01:12:00 Sāngēng 3 diǎn | 01:36:00 Sāngēng 4 diǎn | 02:00:00 Sāngēng 5 diǎn | 02:24:00 Sìgēng | 02:48:00 Sìgēng 1 diǎn | 03:12:00 Sìgēng 2 diǎn | 03:36:00 Sìgēng 3 diǎn | 04:00:00 Sìgēng 4 diǎn | 04:24:00 Sìgēng 5 diǎn | 04:48:00 Wǔgēng | 05:12:00 Wǔgēng 1 diǎn | 05:36:00 Wǔgēng 2 diǎn | 06:00:00 Wǔgēng 3 diǎn | 06:24:00 Wǔgēng 4 diǎn | 06:48:00 Wǔgēng 5 diǎn | 07:12:00 Morning | 07:36:00 Morning 1 diǎn | 08:00:00 Morning 2 diǎn | 08:24:00 Morning 3 diǎn | 08:48:00 Morning 4 diǎn | 09:12:00 Morning 5 diǎn | 09:36:00 Midmorning | 10:00:00 Midmorning 1 diǎn | 10:24:00 Midmorning 2 diǎn | 10:48:00 Midmorning 3 diǎn | 11:12:00 Midmorning 4 diǎn | 11:36:00 Midmorning 5 diǎn | 12:00:00 Noon | 12:24:00 Noon 1 diǎn | 12:48:00 Noon 2 diǎn | 13:12:00 Noon 3 diǎn | 13:36:00 Noon 4 diǎn | 14:00:00 Noon 5 diǎn | 14:24:00 Afternoon | 14:48:00 Afternoon 1 diǎn | 15:12:00 Afternoon 2 diǎn | 15:36:00 Afternoon 3 diǎn | 16:00:00 Afternoon 4 diǎn | 16:24:00 Afternoon 5 diǎn | 16:48:00 Evening | 17:12:00 Evening 1 diǎn | 17:36:00 Evening 2 diǎn | 18:00:00 Evening 3 diǎn | 18:24:00 Evening 4 diǎn | 18:48:00 Evening 5 diǎn | 19:12:00 Yìgēng | 19:36:00 Yìgēng 1 diǎn | 20:00:00 Yìgēng 2 diǎn | 20:24:00 Yìgēng 3 diǎn | 20:48:00 Yìgēng 4 diǎn | 21:12:00 Yìgēng 5 diǎn | 21:36:00 Èrgēng | 22:00:00 Èrgēng 1 diǎn | 22:24:00 Èrgēng 2 diǎn | 22:48:00 Èrgēng 3 diǎn | 23:12:00 Èrgēng 4 diǎn | 23:36:00 Èrgēng 5 diǎn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gēng | 00:00:00 Sāngēng | 02:24:00 Sìgēng | 04:48:00 Wǔgēng | 07:12:00 Morning | 09:36:00 Midmorning | 12:00:00 Noon | 14:24:00 Afternoon | 16:48:00 Evening | 19:12:00 Yìgēng | 21:36:00 Èrgēng | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kè (only major kè) | 00:00:00 | 00:14:24 | 00:28:48 | 00:43:12 | 00:57:36 | 01:12:00 | 01:26:24 | 01:40:48 | 01:55:12 | 02:09:36 | 02:24:00 | 02:38:24 | 02:52:48 | 03:07:12 | 03:21:36 | 03:36:00 | 03:50:24 | 04:04:48 | 04:19:12 | 04:33:36 | 04:48:00 | 05:02:24 | 05:16:48 | 05:31:12 | 05:45:36 | 06:00:00 | 06:14:24 | 06:28:48 | 06:43:12 | 06:57:36 | 07:12:00 | 07:26:24 | 07:40:48 | 07:55:12 | 08:09:36 | 08:24:00 | 08:38:24 | 08:52:48 | 09:07:12 | 09:21:36 | 09:36:00 | 09:50:24 | 10:04:48 | 10:19:12 | 10:33:36 | 10:48:00 | 11:02:24 | 11:16:48 | 11:31:12 | 11:45:36 | 12:00:00 | 12:14:24 | 12:28:48 | 12:43:12 | 12:57:36 | 13:12:00 | 13:26:24 | 13:40:48 | 13:55:12 | 14:09:36 | 14:24:00 | 14:38:24 | 14:52:48 | 15:07:12 | 15:21:36 | 15:36:00 | 15:50:24 | 16:04:48 | 16:19:12 | 16:33:36 | 16:48:00 | 17:02:24 | 17:16:48 | 17:31:12 | 17:45:36 | 18:00:00 | 18:14:24 | 18:28:48 | 18:43:12 | 18:57:36 | 19:12:00 | 19:26:24 | 19:40:48 | 19:55:12 | 20:09:36 | 20:24:00 | 20:38:24 | 20:52:48 | 21:07:12 | 21:21:36 | 21:36:00 | 21:50:24 | 22:04:48 | 22:19:12 | 22:33:36 | 22:48:00 | 23:02:24 | 23:16:48 | 23:31:12 | 23:45:36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shí (post-Tang) | 00:00:00 Zǐ initial | 01:00:00 Zǐ central | 02:00:00 Chǒu initial | 03:00:00 Chǒu central | 04:00:00 Yín initial | 05:00:00 Yín central | 06:00:00 Mǎo initial | 07:00:00 Mǎo central | 08:00:00 Chén initial | 09:00:00 Chén central | 10:00:00 Sì initial | 11:00:00 Sì central | 12:00:00 Wǔ initial | 13:00:00 Wǔ central | 14:00:00 Wèi initial | 15:00:00 Wèi central | 16:00:00 Shēn initial | 17:00:00 Shēn central | 18:00:00 Yǒu initial | 19:00:00 Yǒu central | 20:00:00 Xū initial | 21:00:00 Xū central | 22:00:00 Hài initial | 23:00:00 Hài central | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shí (ancient) | 00:00:00 Zǐshí | 01:00:00 Chǒushí | 03:00:00 Yínshí | 05:00:00 Mǎoshí | 07:00:00 Chénshí | 09:00:00 Sìshì | 11:00:00 Wǔshí | 13:00:00 Wèishí | 15:00:00 Shēnshí | 17:00:00 Yǒushí | 19:00:00 Xūshí | 21:00:00 Hàishí | 23:00:00 Zǐshí |
Chinese still uses characters from these systems to describe time, even though China has changed to the UTC standards of hours, minutes, and seconds.
Shí is still used to describe the hour. Because of the potential for confusion, xiǎoshí ( 小时 ; 小時 , literally "small hour") is sometimes used for the hour as part of a 24-hour cycle, and shíchen ( 时辰 ; 時辰 ) is used for the hour as part of the old 12-hour cycle.
Diǎn is also used interchangeably with shí for the hour. It can also be used to talk about the time on the hour—for example, 8 o' clock is written as 8 diǎn ( 八点 ; 八點 ).
Fēn is also used for minutes. To avoid confusion, sometimes the word fēnzhōng ( 分钟 ; 分鐘 , literally "clock minute") is used to clarify that one is talking about modern minutes. The time 09:45 can thus be written as "9 shí, 45 fēn" ( 九时 四十五 分 ; 九時 四十五 分 ) or "9 diǎn, 45 fēn" ( 九点 四十五 分 ; 九點 四十五 分 ).
Kè has been defined as 1⁄96 of a day since 1628, so the modern kè equals 15 minutes and each double hour contains exactly 8 kè. [2] Since then, kè has been used as shorthand to talk about time in 1⁄8 of a double hour or 1⁄4 of a single hour. Their usage is similar to using "quarter hour" for 15 minutes or "half an hour" for 30 minutes in English. For example, 6:45 can be written as "6 diǎn, 3 kè" ( 六点 三 刻 ; 六點 三 刻 ).
Miǎo is now the standard term for a second. Like fēn, it is sometimes written as miǎozhōng ( 秒钟 ; 秒鐘 , literally "clock second") to clarify that someone is talking about modern seconds.
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Chen Li was the second and the last emperor of the Chinese Chen Han dynasty. Chen Li ruled from 1363–64.
The Jingnan campaign, or Jingnan rebellion, was a three-year civil war from 1399 to 1402 in the early years of the Ming dynasty of China. It occurred between two descendants of the Ming dynasty's founder Zhu Yuanzhang: his grandson Zhu Yunwen by his first son, and Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son Zhu Di, Prince of Yan. Though Zhu Yunwen had been the chosen crown prince of Zhu Yuanzhang and been made emperor upon the death of his grandfather in 1398, friction began immediately after Yuanzhang's death. Zhu Yunwen began arresting Zhu Yuanzhang's other sons immediately, seeking to decrease their threat. But within a year open military conflict began, and the war continued until the forces of the Prince of Yan captured the imperial capital Nanjing. The fall of Nanjing was followed by the demise of Zhu Yunwen, the Jianwen Emperor and Zhu Di was thus crowned the Ming Dynasty's third emperor, the Yongle Emperor.
In the study of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, the Cheng-Gao versions or Cheng-Gao editions (程高本) refer to two illustrated, woodblock print editions of the book, published in 1791 and 1792, both entitled The Illustrated Dream of the Red Chamber (绣像红楼梦). The 1791 version, produced at the year's end, was the novel's earliest print edition. A revised edition, differing in minor details, was published less than eighty days after the first print edition in early 1792. Both editions were edited by Cheng Weiyuan (程伟元) and Gao E and were published by Suzhou's Cuiwen Book House (萃文书屋).
Zhu Youyuan, was a prince of the Ming dynasty of China. He was the fourth son of the Chenghua Emperor.
Qi Tai was a Ming dynasty official was advisor to the Jianwen Emperor. He was executed by the Yongle Emperor at the conclusion of the Jingnan campaign.
The Battle of Handan began in 259 BC and concluded in 257 BC, during which the garrison of Handan, the capital city of Zhao, joined by the allied force of Wei and Chu, defeated the invading army of Qin. It was one of the most remarkable failures of the Qin army after the Reform of Shang Yang.
Sun Fen, courtesy name Ziyang, was an imperial prince of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the fifth son of Sun Quan, the founding emperor of Eastern Wu.
Zhou Qun, courtesy name Zhongzhi, was an official, astronomer and diviner who served under the warlords Liu Zhang and Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Two of his interpretations of comets are preserved in volumes 102–104 of the Book of the Later Han, presumably through quotation by Qiao Zhou.
The Four Perils are four malevolent beings that existed in Chinese mythology and the antagonistic counterparts of the Four Benevolent Animals.
Huyan Yan was a Xiongnu military general and minister of Han Zhao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was an important benefactor of the Disaster of Yongjia in 311 and was also a supporter of Liu Yao following Jin Zhun's coup in 318.
Xu Guang, courtesy name Jiwu, was a minister of Later Zhao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was captured by Shi Le's general Wang Yang (王陽) and served as a servant, but after discovering his potential, he was recruited into Shi Le's army instead. Misconducts by Xu Guang angered Shi Le who had him and family imprisoned in 326. However, Xu Guang won Shi Le's favour back in 328, after his advice earned them a victory over Zhao's rival Han Zhao. As he became a prominent member of the administration, Xu Guang tried to reduce the power of Shi Le's nephew, Shi Hu but could not convince Shi Le to fully remove him. Shi Hu resented him for this, and after his coup in 333, Shi Hu had him and his ally Cheng Xia executed.
日出于暘谷,浴于咸池,拂于扶桑,是謂晨明。
登于扶桑,爰始將行,是謂朏明。
至于曲阿,是謂旦明。
至于曾泉,是謂蚤食。
至于桑野,是謂晏食。
至于衡陽,是謂隅中。
至于昆吾,是謂正中。
至于鳥次,是謂小還。
至于悲谷,是謂餔時。
至于女紀,是謂大還。
至于淵虞,是謂高舂。
至于連石,是謂下舂。
至于悲泉,爰止其女,爰息其馬,是謂縣車。
至于虞淵,是謂黃昏。
至于蒙谷,是謂定昏。
漏:以銅受水,刻節,晝夜百刻。 Translation: The water clock holds the water in the copper pot, and marks the scale on the rule. There are 100 marks which represent a day.
須臾者,二十念名一瞬頃,二十瞬名一彈指,二十彈指名一羅豫,二十羅豫名一須臾。日極長時有十八須臾,夜極短時有十二須臾,夜極長時有十八須臾,日極短時有十二須臾。 Rough translation: Definition of xūyú: 20 niàn is 1 shùnqǐng. 20 shùn is 1 tánzhǐ. 20 tánzhǐ is one luóyù. 20 luóyù is one xūyú. In the longest day there are 18 xūyú, and in the shortest night there are 12 xūyú. In the shortest day there are 12 xūyú and in the longest night there are 18 xūyú.
晝有朝,有禺,有中,有晡,有夕。夜有甲、乙、丙、丁、戊。 Rough translation: Daytime has morning, midmorning, noon, late afternoon, evening. Night has first, second, third, fourth, fifth.