How to Tell Time in English for Beginners

Asking and Answering Questions
Greetings and Introductions
Numbers and Time
Telephone Conversations
- Important Phrases for Phone Calls
- Making Telephone Calls
Eating Out and Shopping
Traveling
Going to the Doctor

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Updated January 20, 2020

Use this role play to practice telling the time. Make sure you know how to use the twelve-hour clock to speak about times in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. Use the preposition "at" to speak about specific times.

Key Vocabulary Related to Telling Time

Excuse me, could you tell me the time, please?
What time is it?
It's half past...
It's quarter past...
It's ten to...
It's quarter to...
It's twenty to
It's twenty past
It's ten forty-five.
1:00 — One o’clock
2:00 — Two o’clock
3:00 — Three o’clock
4:00 — Four o’clock
5:00 — Five o’clock
6:00 — Six o’clock
7:00 — Seven o’clock
8:00 — Eight o’clock
9:00 — Nine o’clock
10:00 — Ten o’clock
11:00 — Eleven o’clock
12:00 — Twelve o’clock

Talking About the Time of Day

There are many ways to talk about the time of day in English without using an exact time. Here are some of those vocabulary words.

Dawn: Early morning before or just as the sun rises.
Sunrise: When the sun rises.
Sunset: When the sun sets.
Noon: Exactly 12 P.M.
Midnight: Exactly 12 A.M.
Midday: The stretch of time in the middle of the day, from approximately 11 am to 1 pm.
Afternoon: Literally, the hours afternoon, but more specifically from 1 to 4 P.M.
Early: The morning hours, approximately before 9 A.M.
Day/daytime
Twilight: The time just before the stars come out.
Dusk: Early evening, just before or as the sun is setting.
Early evening: From about 4:30 to 6 P.M.
Evening: The period of time after sunset but before night.
Late: The evening hours, approximately after 11 P.M.
Night/nighttime
o'clock
A.M.--Used with a 12-hour clock for talking about times before noon and after midnight.
P.M.--Used with a 12-hour clock for talking about times before midnight and afternoon.