Language/Romanian/Vocabulary/Telling-Time
| ◀️ Numbers 1-10 — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Basic Adjectives ▶️ |
Welcome to our lesson on Telling Time in Romanian! Understanding how to tell time is an essential skill in any language, and it opens up a world of conversations and interactions. Imagine being able to ask someone what time it is or to tell them when to meet you for coffee! In this lesson, we will explore the vocabulary and phrases you need to confidently tell the time in Romanian.
We'll start with the basic vocabulary, including how to express hours and minutes. Then, we will present a variety of examples to illustrate these concepts. To solidify your knowledge, we’ll conclude with practical exercises and detailed solutions.
The Basics of Telling Time
Understanding how to tell time in Romanian involves learning specific vocabulary associated with hours and minutes. Romanian uses a 24-hour clock format, similar to many European languages. Let’s break this down step by step.
Key Vocabulary
Here are some essential words and phrases that will help you get started:
| Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ora | /ˈo.ra/ | hour |
| minute | /miˈnu.te/ | minute |
| ceas | /tʃas/ | clock/time |
| dimineața | /di.miˈne.a.t͡sə/ | in the morning |
| la amiază | /la aˈmi.a.zə/ | at noon |
| după-amiaza | /ˈdu.pə.a.mi.a.zə/ | in the afternoon |
| seara | /ˈse.a.ra/ | in the evening |
| noaptea | /ˈno.ap.te.a/ | at night |
Telling the Hour
In Romanian, telling the hour is quite straightforward. You start with the word "ora" followed by the number. Here’s how to express the hours from 1 to 12:
| Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ora unu | /ˈo.ra ˈu.nu/ | one o'clock |
| ora două | /ˈo.ra ˈdo.ʊə/ | two o'clock |
| ora trei | /ˈo.ra ˈtrej/ | three o'clock |
| ora patru | /ˈo.ra ˈpa.tru/ | four o'clock |
| ora cinci | /ˈo.ra ˈt͡ʃiŋt͡ʃ/ | five o'clock |
| ora șase | /ˈo.ra ˈʃa.se/ | six o'clock |
| ora șapte | /ˈo.ra ˈʃap.te/ | seven o'clock |
| ora opt | /ˈo.ra ˈopt/ | eight o'clock |
| ora nouă | /ˈo.ra ˈno.ə/ | nine o'clock |
| ora zece | /ˈo.ra ˈze.t͡ʃe/ | ten o'clock |
| ora unsprezece | /ˈo.ra ˈuns.pre.ze.t͡ʃe/ | eleven o'clock |
| ora douăsprezece | /ˈo.ra ˈdo.ʊə.s.pre.ze.t͡ʃe/ | twelve o'clock |
Telling the Minutes
When it comes to minutes, Romanian uses a simple structure. You simply add the number of minutes after the hour. Here’s how it works:
- For minutes 1 to 29, you say "ora" followed by the hour and then the minutes. For example: "ora unu și zece" means "one ten" (1:10).
- For minutes after 30, you would express it as the next hour minus the minutes. For example: "ora două fără zece" means "two minus ten" (1:50).
Here’s a table with examples:
| Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ora unu și cinci | /ˈo.ra ˈu.nu ʃi ˈt͡ʃiŋt͡ʃ/ | one o'clock and five minutes (1:05) |
| ora trei și douăzeci | /ˈo.ra ˈtrej ʃi ˈdo.ʊə.ze.t͡ʃi/ | three twenty (3:20) |
| ora patru și unsprezece | /ˈo.ra ˈpa.tru ʃi ˈuns.pre.ze.t͡ʃe/ | four eleven (4:11) |
| ora cinci și treizeci | /ˈo.ra ˈt͡ʃiŋt͡ʃ ʃi ˈtrei.ze.t͡ʃi/ | five thirty (5:30) |
| ora șase și două | /ˈo.ra ˈʃa.se ʃi ˈdo.ʊə/ | six two (6:02) |
| ora opt fără cinci | /ˈo.ra ˈopt ˈfə.rə ˈt͡ʃiŋt͡ʃ/ | five to eight (7:55) |
| ora nouă fără douăzeci | /ˈo.ra ˈno.ə ˈfə.rə ˈdo.ʊə.ze.t͡ʃi/ | twenty to nine (8:40) |
| ora zece fără unsprezece | /ˈo.ra ˈze.t͡ʃe ˈfə.rə ˈuns.pre.ze.t͡ʃe/ | eleven to ten (9:49) |
| ora unsprezece fără cinci | /ˈo.ra ˈuns.pre.ze.t͡ʃe ˈfə.rə ˈt͡ʃiŋt͡ʃ/ | five to eleven (10:55) |
| ora douăsprezece fără douăzeci | /ˈo.ra ˈdo.ʊə.s.pre.ze.t͡ʃe ˈfə.rə ˈdo.ʊə.ze.t͡ʃi/ | twenty to twelve (11:40) |
Contextual Phrases
Now that we have covered the basics, let’s move on to some useful phrases that will help you engage in conversations about time.
| Romanian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ce oră este? | /t͡ʃe ˈo.rə ˈje.ste/ | What time is it? |
| Este ora unu. | /ˈje.ste ˈo.ra ˈu.nu/ | It is one o'clock. |
| Este ora două. | /ˈje.ste ˈo.ra ˈdo.ʊə/ | It is two o'clock. |
| Este ora trei. | /ˈje.ste ˈo.ra ˈtrej/ | It is three o'clock. |
| E timpul să ne întâlnim. | /e ˈtim.pul sə ne ɨn.tɨlˈnim/ | It's time to meet. |
| Mă întâlnesc la ora cinci. | /mə ɨn.tɨlˈnesk la ˈo.ra ˈt͡ʃiŋt͡ʃ/ | I meet at five o'clock. |
| La ce oră ne vedem? | /la t͡ʃe ˈo.rə ne veˈdem/ | At what time do we meet? |
| Trebuie să plecăm la ora șapte. | /ˈtre.bu.ie sə pleˈkəm la ˈo.ra ˈʃap.te/ | We have to leave at seven o'clock. |
| Nu uita să vii la ora nouă. | /nu uˈi.ta sə viˈi la ˈo.ra ˈno.ə/ | Don’t forget to come at nine o'clock. |
| La amiază este ora doisprezece. | /la a.miˈa.zə ˈje.ste ˈo.ra do.is.pre.ze.t͡ʃe/ | At noon, it is twelve o'clock. |
Practice Exercises
Now that you have a good grasp of telling time in Romanian, let’s put your knowledge to the test with some exercises!
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct time in Romanian.
1. Ora ___ (one) și ___ (five).
2. Este ora ___ (eight).
3. La ce oră ne întâlnim? La ora ___ (ten).
4. Mă întâlnesc la ora ___ (seven) fără ___ (ten).
5. E timpul să plecăm la ora ___ (four).
Answers:
1. ora unu și cinci
2. Este ora opt
3. La ora zece
4. la ora șapte fără zece
5. la ora patru
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer.
1. Ce oră este? (a) Ora zece (b) Zece ora (c) Este ora zece
2. Trebuie să plecăm la ora (a) cinci (b) cinci ora (c) ora cinci
Answers:
1. (c) Este ora zece
2. (a) cinci
Exercise 3: Match the Phrases
Match the Romanian phrases with their English translations.
1. Este ora patru. (a) It is five o'clock.
2. La amiază este ora unu. (b) At noon, it is one o'clock.
3. La ce oră ne vedem? (c) What time do we meet?
4. Mă întâlnesc la ora cinci. (d) I meet at five o'clock.
Answers:
1 - (a)
2 - (b)
3 - (c)
4 - (d)
Exercise 4: Translate the Sentences
Translate the following sentences into Romanian.
1. What time is it?
2. It is three o'clock.
3. We meet at six o'clock.
4. Don’t forget to come at twelve o'clock.
Answers:
1. Ce oră este?
2. Este ora trei.
3. Mă întâlnesc la ora șase.
4. Nu uita să vii la ora douăsprezece.
Exercise 5: Time Conversion
Convert the following times into Romanian.
1. 2:15
2. 7:45
3. 10:30
4. 4:50
Answers:
1. ora două și cincisprezece
2. ora opt fără douăsprezece
3. ora zece și treizeci
4. ora cinci fără zece
Exercise 6: Create Your Own Sentences
Create five sentences telling the time using the vocabulary learned.
Example Answer:
1. Este ora zece și cinci.
2. Mă întâlnesc la ora patru fără douăzeci.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You've made significant progress in learning how to tell time in Romanian. This lesson has equipped you with the essential vocabulary and structures to navigate conversations involving time. Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep using these phrases in your daily life, and soon you’ll be telling time in Romanian with ease.
In our next lessons, we will delve into adjectives and adverbs, enriching your vocabulary even further. Keep up the great work!
Videos
WHAT TIME IS IT? | Telling the Time in Romanian #1 - YouTube
Sources
- Telling Time in Romanian - Everything You Need to Know
- How to say the 12 months in Romanian
- Basic Romanian Sentence Patterns You Can Use Right Away
Other Lessons
- How to say Good Bye?
- Useful Phrases
- Verbs in Romanian
- Health and Medical Terms
- Count from 1 to 10
- Fruits
- Common Locations
- Numbers 1 10
- Common Foods
- Animals
| ◀️ Numbers 1-10 — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Basic Adjectives ▶️ |