How To Tell Time In Russian

The most difficult thing about telling time in Russian is to pick correct noun forms for hours and minutes. When telling time, Russians either use 24-hour time or 12-hour time with the words "утра", "дня", "вечера" or "ночи" added.

Here's How:

To tell exact time , say a cardinal number such as один, два, три, etc. + час/час а /час о в + р о вно. If the cardinal number is 1, use the word час If the cardinal number is 2, 3 or 4, use the word час а . If the cardinal number is 5 to 12, use the word час о в. For example, три час а р о вно (3:00).



When there remains less than half an hour till the beginning of a certain hour, you say без + the number of minutes remained + мин у ты/мин у т + the hour that will come. If the number of minutes remained is 1 or 21, use the singular genitive form of the numeral, namely одн о й, дв а дцать одн о й. You should add the word мин у ты to such numbers. Instead of 15 minutes use the word ч е тверти. If the number of minutes is other than named in step 7, use the plural genitive form of the numeral. You should add the word мин у т to such numbers. To name the hour that will come, say the word час for 1 hour and correspondent cardinal numbers alone for others, namely два, три, чет ы ре, etc. For example, без пят и мин у т два (1:55); без четверти десять (9:45).



When there passed less than half an hour since the beginning of a new hour, you say the number of minutes passed + мин у та/мин у ты/мин у т + the next hour.



For the number of minutes passed, use a cardinal number in the nominative. If the number of minutes passed is 1 or 21, use the word мин у та. If the number of minutes passed is 2, 3, 4, 22, 23 or 24, use the word мин у ты If the number of minutes passed is 5 and more (except 21, 22, 23 and 24), use the word мин у т. Instead of 30 minutes use the word полов и на. Instead of 15 minutes use the word ч е тверть. To name the next hour, say п е рвого for 1 hour, втор о го for 2 hours, тр е тьего for 3 hours, четв ё ртого for 4 hours, п я того for 5 hours, etc. For example, дв а дцать две мин у ты дев я того (8:22); полов и на дес я того (9:30); четверть десятого (9:15)



Tips:

The stressed vowels are underlined in Russian words. If you want to designate the time of the day, add at the end of the time phrase the word утр а for morning time, дня for noon and day time, в е чера for evening time, and н о чи for night time. For example, п я ть мин у т втор о го дня (1:05 pm); п я ть мин у т втор о го н о чи (1:05 am).



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