How to Tell Time in Russian

In Russian, you can use both the 12-hour and the 24-hour clock systems. The 12-hour system is common in everyday conversation, while the 24-hour system is used in formal settings, such as official documentation or news broadcasts.

How to Ask for the Time in Russian

To ask what time it is, say сколько времени (SKOLka VREmeni) or который час (kaTOriy CHAS). Both phrases are neutral and suitable for any register, however, который час can sound a little more formal.

In everyday conversation, сколько времени is often changed to the colloquial сколько время (SKOL'ka VREmya).

Examples

- Извините, вы не подскажете, сколько времени? (izviNEEte, vy ne patSKAzhytye, SKOLka VREmeni)
- Excuse me, could you (please) tell me what time it is?

- Маш, сколько время там? (MASH, SKOL'ka VRYEmya tam)
- Masha, what time is it?

- Простите, вы не подскажете, который час? (prasTEEtye, vy ne patSKAzhetye, kaTOriy CHAS)
- Excuse me, could you (please) tell me what time it is?

Hours and Minutes

When telling the time, you can simply say the hour and the minutes, just as you would in English.

Option 1

- два сорок (DVA SOrak)
- two-forty

This is quite an informal way to tell the time and is easy to learn as long as you know all the numbers in Russian.

Bear in mind that when it comes to 1 o'clock, you can still say the hour and the minutes but instead of один (aDEEN), meaning one, say час (CHAS), which means hour.

Example

- час двадцать (CHAS DVATsat)
- one-twenty

You can also add the words часа (chaSA) or часов (chaSOF), both meaning hours, as well as минута (meeNOOta) or минут (meeNOOT), meaning minutes.

Examples

- Три часа тринадцать минут (TREE chaSA pytNATsat meeNOOT)
- Three hours fifteen minutes.

- Двадцать один час и одна минута (DVATsat' aDEEN chas ee adNA meeNOOta)
- Twenty one hours and one minute.

Option 2

Another way to tell the time is to use the following markers:

If the time is at quarter past the hour, use пятнадцать минут followed by the hour (ordinal number in the genitive case). You can also say четверть followed by the hour (ordinal number in the genitive case).

Example

- Пятнадцать минут третьего (pytNATsat miNOOT TRETyeva)
- Fifteen minutes past three (fifteen minutes of the third)

and

- Четверть первого (CHETvert PERvava)
- Quarter past one (a quarter of the first)

If the time is at half past the hour, use половина followed by the hour (ordinal number in the genitive case) or the abbreviated пол-, also followed by the hour (ordinal number in the genitive case). The abbreviated пол- becomes the beginning of the word: пол+hour (ordinal number in the genitive case).

Example

- Половина пятого (palaVEEna PYAtava)
- Half-past four (half of the fifth)

and

- Полседьмого (polsyd'MOva)
- Half-past six (half of the seventh)

In all other cases, if the time is before the 30-minute mark, use the same rule as above, replacing the first part with the number that represents the minutes and the word минута (meeNOOta) or минут (meeNOOT): MINUTES + HOUR (ordinal number in the genitive case).

Although this sounds complicated, you will get used to it quickly once you learn the way ordinal numbers sound in the genitive case:

If the time is after the 30-minute mark, use the word без (BYEZ), meaning without, followed by the number of the minutes left in the hour + the hour in its neutral state.

If the time is quarter to an hour, you can use the same formula, replacing the number of the minutes with the words без четверти (bez CHETverti), meaning literally without a quarter, or quarter to.

Example

- Без двадцати четыре (bez dvatsaTEE cheTYre)
- Twenty to four

- Без четверти шесть (bez CHETverti SHEST')
-Quarter to six (six without a quarter)

Use the table below for the genitive forms of the cardinal numbers that you will need for the minutes.

To say the numbers from 21 to 29 (minutes), use the word двадцати + the genitive form of the numbers 1 to 9 from the table.

How to Say O'Clock

When using the 24-hour system, you will need to add час (CHAS), часа (chaSAH) or часов (chaSOF), all of which mean o'clock. Alternatively, you may hear ноль ноль (nol' nol'), meaning zero zero.

Note

Час is only used after 1 o'clock and 21 o'clock:

- один час (aDEEN CHAS)
- one o'clock

The word один can be dropped without changing the meaning when saying one o'clock:

- час ночи (CHAS NOchi)
- 1 a.m.

- час дня (CHAS DNYA)
- 1 p.m.

Часа (chaSA) is used after the numbers between 2 and 4. For numbers between 5 and 12, use часов (chaSOF).

Examples

- Двадцать один час (DVATsat' aDEEN chas)
- Twenty-one o'clock / 9 p.m.

- Двадцать четыре часа (DVATsat' chyTYre chaSA)
- Twenty-four o'clock/midnight

- Пять часов (pyat' chaSOF)
- Five o'clock.

- Тринадцать ноль ноль (triNATsat' NOL' NOL')
- Thirteen o'clock (zero zero)

Time on the Hour

Use the following table to learn how to say the time on the hour.