Telling Time in Italian

1. Asking for the Time: Che ora è? vs. Che ore sono?

Just like with prices, there are a couple of ways to ask for the time. You can use either Che ora è? (singular) or Che ore sono? (plural). Both mean "What time is it?" and are used interchangeably in conversation.

This might seem a bit odd. Why the two forms? It helps to understand the Italian words for "time".

As the article explains, when you ask for the time on a clock, you are literally asking about the "hours" (ore). Since "hours" is a plural noun, Che ore sono? makes perfect logical sense. Che ora è? is just a common, slightly less literal variation.

2. Telling Time on the Hour

Now for the answer. The structure directly mirrors the plural question Che ore sono?. For any hour other than one o'clock, you use the plural form Sono le....

There are a few important exceptions for 1:00, noon, and midnight. Let's watch a video that breaks this down clearly.

Let's recap the grammar, which you appreciate having clearly laid out:

• For hours 2 through 12: Use Sono le + [number].

  • Sono le due. (It's two o'clock.)
  • Sono le dieci. (It's ten o'clock.)
  • The structure is plural (sono) because we are talking about multiple "hours" (ore, which is feminine plural, hence the article le).

• The 1 o'clock exception: Use È l'una.

  • È is singular because we are talking about only one hour (un'ora).
  • The noun ora is feminine, so we use the feminine number una, not uno.
  • l'una is a contraction of la una.

• Noon and Midnight: Use È + the specific word.

  • È mezzogiorno. (It's noon.)
  • È mezzanotte. (It's midnight.)
  • These are considered single points in time, so we use the singular è.

At What Time? A che ora?

A related, and very useful, question is "At what time...?". For this, you use A che ora...?.

• A che ora parte il treno? (At what time does the train leave?)
• A che ora mangiamo? (At what time do we eat?)

The answer uses the prepositions alle (at the) for plural hours and all' for the singular l'una.

• Alle due. (At two.)
• All'una. (At one.)
• A mezzogiorno. (At noon.)

3. Telling Time with Minutes

Adding minutes works very similarly to how you stated prices. You use the word e (and) to add minutes in the first half of the hour and, most commonly, meno (minus) to subtract minutes from the next hour.

Let's return to the video to see this in action.

Here is a summary of the rules:

• Minutes 1-30 (Past the hour): Use e (and).

  • Sono le dieci e cinque. (It's 10:05.)
  • Special phrases:
    • ... e un quarto for 15 minutes past (a quarter past). Sono le dieci e un quarto. (10:15)
    • ... e mezza for 30 minutes past (half past). Sono le dieci e mezza. (10:30)

• Minutes 31-59 (To the hour): Use meno (minus).

  • This is a common pattern in many European languages. You state the next hour and subtract the minutes.
  • Sono le undici meno venti. (It's 10:40 - literally "eleven minus twenty".)
  • Special phrase:
    • ... meno un quarto for 15 minutes to (a quarter to). Sono le undici meno un quarto. (10:45)

You can also just state the minutes (e.g., Sono le dieci e quaranta), but using meno is very common and will help you sound more natural.

This image provides a great visual summary of these phrases.

4. Adding Context: AM/PM and the 24-Hour Clock

In casual conversation, Italians use a 12-hour clock. So how do you know if Sono le otto means 8 in the morning or 8 in the evening? You add a phrase to specify the time of day. AM and PM are not typically used.

The key phrases are:

• di mattina – in the morning
• del pomeriggio – in the afternoon
• di sera – in the evening
• di notte – at night

So, you would say:

• Sono le otto di mattina. (It's 8:00 AM.)
• Sono le otto di sera. (It's 8:00 PM.)

Of course, Italy also officially uses the 24-hour clock (l'orologio a 24 ore), especially for formal schedules like train timetables, TV guides, and business hours. In this case, you just read the number: Sono le diciassette (It's 17:00 / 5 PM). It's good to be familiar with it, but for your goal of casual conversation, the 12-hour system with context phrases is your priority.

Conclusion

Ottimo lavoro! You can now handle two of the most common questions you'll face when traveling: "How much is it?" and "What time is it?".

Key Takeaways:

• Ask for the time with Che ore sono? or Che ora è?.
• Answer with Sono le... for most hours, but remember the exceptions: È l'una, È mezzogiorno, and È mezzanotte.
• Add minutes with e (e.g., le due e dieci) and subtract them with meno (e.g., le tre meno dieci).
• Use phrases like e un quarto, e mezza, and meno un quarto for common time markers.
• Specify the time of day with di mattina, del pomeriggio, or di sera.

This lesson concludes our module on "Asking Questions & Getting By." You've built a solid foundation of practical phrases. In our next lesson, we will begin a new module, "Core Sentence Building Blocks," by taking a closer look at subject pronouns (io, tu, lui...). This will help you understand the structure of the sentences we've been using and give you the power to build your own.

A presto