Language/Russian/Vocabulary/Telling-Time
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, you will learn how to tell time in Russian. Knowing how to express time is essential for daily communication and scheduling appointments. We will cover how to say hours, minutes, and the difference between AM and PM. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to confidently tell time in Russian.
Hours[edit | edit source]
Let's start by learning how to say the hours in Russian. The Russian language uses a 24-hour clock, so the hours range from 1 to 24. Here are the numbers from 1 to 12 in Russian:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| один | odin | one |
| два | dva | two |
| три | tri | three |
| четыре | chetyre | four |
| пять | pyat' | five |
| шесть | shest' | six |
| семь | sem' | seven |
| восемь | vosem' | eight |
| девять | devyat' | nine |
| десять | desyat' | ten |
| одиннадцать | odinnadtsat' | eleven |
| двенадцать | dvenadtsat' | twelve |
To express the hours from 13 to 24, you simply add the word "час" (chas), which means "hour," after the number. For example:
- 13: тринадцать часов (trinadtsat' chasov) - thirteen o'clock
- 14: четырнадцать часов (chetirnadtsat' chasov) - fourteen o'clock
- 15: пятнадцать часов (pyatnadtsat' chasov) - fifteen o'clock
- 16: шестнадцать часов (shestnadtsat' chasov) - sixteen o'clock
- 17: семнадцать часов (semnadtsat' chasov) - seventeen o'clock
- 18: восемнадцать часов (vosemnadtsat' chasov) - eighteen o'clock
- 19: девятнадцать часов (devyatnadtsat' chasov) - nineteen o'clock
- 20: двадцать часов (dvadtsat' chasov) - twenty o'clock
- 21: двадцать один час (dvadtsat' odin chas) - twenty-one o'clock
- 22: двадцать два часа (dvadtsat' dva chasa) - twenty-two o'clock
- 23: двадцать три часа (dvadtsat' tri chasa) - twenty-three o'clock
- 24: двадцать четыре часа (dvadtsat' chetyre chasa) - twenty-four o'clock
It's important to note that when telling time in Russian, you generally omit the word "час" (chas) after the hour, unless you want to emphasize it or if it's necessary for clarity.
Minutes[edit | edit source]
Now let's move on to learning how to express minutes in Russian. The word for "minute" in Russian is "минута" (minuta). To say the minutes, you simply state the number followed by the word "минут" (minut). For example:
- 5 minutes: пять минут (pyat' minut)
- 10 minutes: десять минут (desyat' minut)
- 15 minutes: пятнадцать минут (pyatnadtsat' minut)
- 30 minutes: полчаса (polchasa)
- 45 minutes: сорок пять минут (sorok pyat' minut)
When expressing 30 minutes, Russians often use the phrase "полчаса" (polchasa), which literally translates to "half an hour." This is a common way to say "30 minutes" in everyday conversation.
AM and PM[edit | edit source]
To differentiate between AM and PM in Russian, you can use the phrases "утро" (utro) for "morning," "день" (den') for "day," "вечер" (vecher) for "evening," and "ночь" (noch') for "night." Here are some examples:
- 7 AM: семь утра (sem' utra)
- 1 PM: один час дня (odin chas dnya)
- 6 PM: шесть часов вечера (shest' chasov vechera)
- 11 PM: одиннадцать часов ночи (odinnadtsat' chasov nochi)
It's important to note that when telling time in Russian, you generally use the 24-hour clock format, so there is no need to specify AM or PM unless it's necessary for clarity or in informal conversations.
Practice[edit | edit source]
Now it's time to practice telling time in Russian. Here are some exercises to help you reinforce what you've learned:
1. Translate the following times into Russian:
- 9:30 AM
- 3:45 PM
- 7:15 PM
- 12:00 PM (noon)
2. Write the following times in the 24-hour clock format:
- 4:30 AM
- 10:45 PM
- 2:20 PM
- 6:10 AM
3. Read the following times out loud in Russian:
- 8:00 AM
- 5:30 PM
- 11:55 PM
- 2:10 AM
Take your time to answer the exercises and don't worry if you make mistakes. Learning to tell time in Russian takes practice, so keep practicing until you feel confident.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations! You have learned how to tell time in Russian. In this lesson, we covered how to say the hours, minutes, and the difference between AM and PM. Make sure to practice regularly to improve your skills. In the next lesson, we will continue to expand our vocabulary and learn new useful phrases. Удачи! (Udachi!) Good luck!
Videos[edit | edit source]
Telling TIME in Russian - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Telling time in Russian (everything in 1 video) - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Beginning Russian. Грамматика: Telling Time On the Hour - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Health
- Beach
- Fruits
- Parts of the Body
- Street
- Music
- Entertainment
- Countries and Continents
- At Home
- Family Members
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