Mastering Time-Telling in Italian: A Simple Guide

If you’re planning to enjoy a dinner with your Italian friends, schedule a medical appointment, or catch a train, mastering how to tell time in Italy is essential.

If you’ve been learning Italian online, you should already know how to conjugate the verb “essere” (meaning “to be”) and have a grasp of Italian numbers. These two skills are crucial for telling time in Italian!

By grasping these concepts, you’ll discover in this article how to tell time in Italian, along with the colorful idiomatic expressions that Italians commonly use when discussing time.

There is no time to waste; so let’s begin!

How to ask the time in italian

In Italian, the word for “time” is “tempo.” However, you won’t encounter “tempo” when discussing specific clock times. Instead, it’s used in a broader context to refer to time in general, rather than the precise moments on a clock.

• Oggi non ho tempo di andare in palestra. – Today I don’t have time to go to the gym.

If you want to discuss the time in Italian, you should focus on the word ora (“hour”) instead.

Che ore sono? / Che ora è? – What time is it?

To inquire about the time in Italian, you can ask “Che ora è?” using the word “ora” for singular or “ore” for plural. Simply pair it with the appropriate form of the verb “essere”: use “è” for singular and “sono” for plural.

• Che ora è?/Che ore sono? – What time is it?

Potrebbe/Potresti dirmi l’ora? – Could/Would you tell me the time?

For a more formal or polite approach, you might consider phrasing your question in the following way:

• Potrebbe dirmi l’ora?/Potresti dirmi l’ora? Could/Would you tell me the time?

“Potrebbe” is the third person singular form of the verb “potere” (to be able) in the conditional tense, while “potresti” is the second person singular form. When asking for the time, you can use either “Che ora è?” or “Che ore sono?”—both expressions are polite and perfectly acceptable.

A che ora è…? /A che ora comincia…? – What time is…

If you need to ask the exact time when something is happening, you should use this structure:

A che ora + verb to be or to begin + subject of the sentence + ?

• A che ora è (la riunione)? – What time is (the meeting) at?
• A che ora comincia (la riunione)? – What time does (the meeting) begin?
• A che ora inizia (il concerto)? – What time does (the concert) begin?

In the first question, you can see the third person of the verb essere (to be): è.

In the second and third questions, you see two synonyms of the verb “to begin”: cominciare and iniziare.

How to tell time in Italian

Now that you’ve mastered how to ask for the time in Italian, it’s time to learn how to respond! The most common way to tell the time in Italian follows a straightforward structure:

Sono le… + number corresponding to the clock time. 

For example:

• Sono le otto – It’s eight o’clock.

“Sono” is the third-person plural form of the Italian verb “essere,” meaning “to be.” We use this plural form because hours are typically expressed in plural, and the word “ore” (meaning “hours”) is often left out. For example, we simply say “sono le otto,” omitting “ore” since it’s understood.

However, there are three exceptions to the plural declination of hours.

Midnight, noon, 1:00 AM/PM, and every fractional hour in between all take on the third person singular form of the verb “to be.”

• È l’una del mattino – It’s 1:00 AM.
• È l’una e mezza del pomeriggio – It’s 1:30 PM.
• È mezzogiorno – It’s noon.
• È mezzanotte – It’s midnight.
• È mezzanotte e mezza – It is half past midnight.

Hours and minutes in Italian

There are two systems for telling time in Italian:

• 24-hour system
• 12-hour system 

24-hour system

In the 24-hour clock system, hours are represented by the numbers 1 through 24, while minutes range from 1 to 60. This format provides a clear way to express time throughout the day without the need for AM or PM distinctions.

• 17:35 → Sono le diciassette e trentacinque – It’s 5:35 PM.
• 20:00 → Sono le venti – It’s 8:00 PM.
• 19:30 → Sono le diciannove e quaranta – It’s 7:30 PM.
• 21:45 → Sono le ventuno e quarantacinque – It’s 9:45 PM.

12-hour system

When telling time on a 12-hour clock, you’ll use the numbers 1 through 12 to indicate the hours, and for the minutes, you’ll count from 1 to 60.

To prevent any confusion, we clarify the time of day by using specific phrases: “di mattina” for “in the morning,” “di pomeriggio” for “in the afternoon,” “di sera” for “in the evening,” and “di notte” for “at night.”

• 17:35 → Sono le cinque e trentadue di pomeriggio – It’s 5:32 in the afternoon/PM.
• 20:00 → Sono le otto di sera – It’s 8:12 in the evening/PM.
• 19:30 → Sono le sette e mezza di sera – It’s 7:30 in the evening/PM.
• 21:45 → Sono le nove e quarantacinque di sera – It’s 9:45 PM.
• 02:00 → Sono le due di notte – It’s two o’clock at night.

Hours, minutes, quarters and halves

Just like in English, time in Italian can be expressed in fractions, specifically quarter hours and half hours. Here’s how to articulate these time intervals in Italian:

• Un quarto – A quarter of an hour.
• Mezz’ora – Half an hour.
• Tre quarti – Three-quarters of an hour.

To use these in a sentence, the structure is:

Sono le + number + e (and) + un quarto / mezza / tre quarti

• Sono le … e un quarto – It’s a quarter past…
• Sono le … e mezza – It’s half past…
• Sono le … e tre quarti – It’s three quarters past…

When we talk about Italian clock times in this way, we always use the 12-hour system. 

• Sono le sei e un quarto – It’s a quarter past six.
• Sono le nove e tre quarti – It’s three quarters past nine (quarter to ten).

Also, remember that midnight, noon, and 1 AM/PM require the verb essere in the singular:

• È mezzanotte e mezza – It’s half past midnight.
• È mezzogiorno e un quarto – It’s a quarter past noon.
• È l’una e tre quarti – It’s three-quarters past one (quarter to two).

How do we express times that exceed the half-hour mark? In English, we use the phrase “to,” as in “twenty to” or “ten to.” However, in Italian, the approach is a bit different: they refer to the upcoming hour by subtracting the minutes needed to reach it. For instance:

• 9:40 → Sono le dieci meno venti – It’s twenty to ten. (Literally, “Ten minus twenty”.)
• 09:50 → Sono le dieci meno dieci – It’s ten to ten. (Literally, “Ten minus ten”.)
• 09:55 → Sono le dieci meno cinque – It’s five to ten. (Literally, “Five minus ten”.)

When it’s fifteen minutes until the next hour, people often use the phrase “meno un quarto,” which translates to “minus a quarter.” This expression is a popular way to indicate the time in a concise manner.

• 09:45 → Sono le dieci meno un quarto. It’s a quarter to ten. (Literally, “Ten minus a quarter”.)

Another way to indicate the minutes until the next hour is with structure:

Mancano + number + minuti (“minutes”) alle (“to”) + number

Mancano is the third person plural of the verb mancare (“to miss”), for example:

• Mancano cinque minuti alle sette. It’s five minutes to seven. (Literally, “Five minutes are missing until seven”)

Time of the day

Here are some tips for talking about the time of the day like a true Italian native.

Every day is divided into:

• Mattina. – Morning.
• Pomeriggio. – Afternoon.
• Sera. – Evening.
• Notte. – Night.

The beginning and the end of the day:

• Alba. – Sunrise.
• Tramonto. – Sunset.
• Dall’alba al tramonto. – From dawn to dusk. 

Other important time vocabulary and phrases

Italian offers a rich variety of expressions to describe the passage of time. Here are some of the most frequently used phrases to help you enhance your vocabulary:

• Ieri – Yesterday. → Ieri sono andata in spiaggia.
• L’altroieri – The day before yesterday. → L’altroieri ho fatto la spesa.
• Oggi – Today. → Oggi sono rimasta a casa.
• Domani – Tomorrow. → Domani vado in ufficio.
• Dopodomani – The day after tomorrow. → Dopodomani è il mio compleanno.
• Fine settimana – Weekend. → Il prossimo fine settimana vado a Londra.
• Questa settimana – This week. → Questa settimana inizio un nuovo lavoro.
• La settimana scorsa – Last week. → La settimana scorsa ho iniziato un nuovo lavoro.
• La prossima settimana – Next week. → La prossima settimana inizierò un nuovo lavoro.
• Quest’anno – This year. → Quest’anno inizio a fare sport.
• L’anno prossimo – Next year. → L’anno prossimo mi trasferisco a Barcellona.
• L’anno scorso – Last year. → L’anno scorso ho letto dieci libri.
• Questo mese – This month. → Questo mese devo risparmiare.
• Il mese scorso – Last month. → Il mese scorso ho speso molti soldi.
• Il mese prossimo – Next month. → Il mese prossimo farò un viaggio.
• Essere puntuale – To be on time. → Ci tengo a essere puntuale.
• Essere in ritardo – To be late. → Sei sempre in ritardo!
• Essere in anticipo –To be early. → Credo di essere in anticipo.
• Adesso/Ora – Now. → Adesso/Ora devo prendere il treno.
• Dopo/Più tardi – Later. → Ci vediamo dopo/più tardi.
• Prima – Before. → Ci sentiamo prima delle dieci.
• Alla prossima! – See you next time!
• Tanto/molto tempo – A long time. → È passato tanto/molto tempo.
• Poco tempo – A short time. → È passato poco tempo.

Tips and tricks to make telling the time in Italian easier

To master telling time in Italian swiftly, familiarize yourself with the numbers 1 to 59—this is your essential first step. Once you’ve memorized these numbers, you’ll be well-equipped to express the time with confidence!

An effective way to master time expressions in Italian is by tuning into Italian radio. You’ll hear time references frequently throughout the programs, helping you reinforce your understanding and improve your listening skills.

Train stations are also a great place to learn to tell time: megaphone messages constantly communicate train times.

Time-related proverbs and sayings in Italian

Want to wow your friends and showcase your expertise in Italian time expressions? Check out this collection of proverbs and sayings that will elevate your conversation skills!

• Non vedo l’ora che (succeda qualcosa)… → I can’t wait for (something to happen)…
• Il tempo è denaro → Time is money
• Il tempo vola → Time flies
• Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo → There’s no time like the present
• Ogni cosa a suo tempo → All in good time
• Il tempo cura ogni cosa → Time takes care of everything
• Perdere la cognizione del tempo → To lose track of time
• La notte porta consiglio → To sleep on it
• Fare le ore piccole → Staying up late

Practice telling time in Italian with LingualNeeds

Ready to put your newfound knowledge to the test? Dive into the task below! After you’ve written your responses, take a moment to say them out loud. This will reinforce your learning and boost your confidence!

Put these times in writing using the 12-hour system:

1. 1:24 PM
2. 11:52 PM
3. 06:05 AM
4. 04:45 PM
5. 08:23 PM

Put these hours in writing using the Italian clock times:

1. 16:45
2. 15:55
3. 03:40
4. 20:50
5. 21:15

While independent practice is important, nothing accelerates your progress quite like conversing with a native Italian speaker. Engaging in real conversations allows you to enhance your skills and gain valuable insights into the language and culture.

LingualNeeds is your go-to platform for learning Italian! Connect with native Italian tutors for personalized 1-to-1 lessons at budget-friendly rates. Our expert tutors provide the resources you need to master time expressions in the beautiful Italian language. Explore our free online resources for learning Italian or schedule a private class with one of our skilled native speakers today!

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Conclusion

Mastering how to tell time in Italian not only helps you practice your numbers but also expands your vocabulary with unique idiomatic expressions. This skill will enhance your fluency and make you sound more like a native speaker.

Download the LingualNeeds app to start studying Italian online, non c’è tempo da perdere (“there’s no time to waste”)!