Language/Ukrainian/Vocabulary/Telling-Time
As a Ukrainian language teacher, I am excited to help you learn how to tell time in Ukrainian! This is an essential skill for anyone who wants to communicate with Ukrainians or travel to Ukraine. In this lesson, we will cover the basics of telling time in Ukrainian, including hours and minutes. We will also practice asking for and giving the time in various situations.
Hours
Let's start with the hours. In Ukrainian, we use the 24-hour clock to tell time. Here are the numbers you need to know:
| Ukrainian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (нуль) | [nulʲ] | zero |
| 1 (один) | [odɪn] | one |
| 2 (два) | [dva] | two |
| 3 (три) | [trɪ] | three |
| 4 (чотири) | [ʧotɪrɪ] | four |
| 5 (п'ять) | [pʲjatʲ] | five |
| 6 (шість) | [ʃistʲ] | six |
| 7 (сім) | [sʲim] | seven |
| 8 (вісім) | [vɪsʲim] | eight |
| 9 (дев'ять) | [dɛvʲjatʲ] | nine |
| 10 (десять) | [dɛsʲatʲ] | ten |
| 11 (одинадцять) | [odɪnadʑatʲ] | eleven |
| 12 (дванадцять) | [dvanadʑatʲ] | twelve |
| 13 (тринадцять) | [trɪnadʑatʲ] | thirteen |
| 14 (чотирнадцять) | [ʧotɪrnadʑatʲ] | fourteen |
| 15 (п'ятнадцять) | [pʲjatnadʑatʲ] | fifteen |
| 16 (шістнадцять) | [ʃistnadʑatʲ] | sixteen |
| 17 (сімнадцять) | [sʲimnadʑatʲ] | seventeen |
| 18 (вісімнадцять) | [vɪsʲimnadʑatʲ] | eighteen |
| 19 (дев'ятнадцять) | [dɛvʲjatnadʑatʲ] | nineteen |
| 20 (двадцять) | [dvadʑatʲ] | twenty |
| 21 (двадцять один) | [dvadʑatʲ odɪn] | twenty-one |
| 22 (двадцять два) | [dvadʑatʲ dva] | twenty-two |
| 23 (двадцять три) | [dvadʑatʲ trɪ] | twenty-three |
| 24 (двадцять чотири) | [dvadʑatʲ ʧotɪrɪ] | twenty-four |
To express the time, we use the following formula: "година" (hour) + <number> + "хвилин" (minutes). For example, "дві години п'ятнадцять хвилин" would mean "two hours and fifteen minutes."
Minutes
Now let's learn how to express minutes in Ukrainian. Just as in English, minutes in Ukrainian are expressed in increments of five, starting from five:
| Ukrainian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 5 (п'ять) | [pʲjatʲ] | five |
| 10 (десять) | [dɛsʲatʲ] | ten |
| 15 (п'ятнадцять) | [pʲjatnadʑatʲ] | fifteen |
| 20 (двадцять) | [dvadʑatʲ] | twenty |
| 25 (двадцять п'ять) | [dvadʑatʲ pʲjatʲ] | twenty-five |
| 30 (тридцять) | [trɪdʑatʲ] | thirty |
| 35 (тридцять п'ять) | [trɪdʑatʲ pʲjatʲ] | thirty-five |
| 40 (сорок) | [sɔrɔk] | forty |
| 45 (сорок п'ять) | [sɔrɔk pʲjatʲ] | forty-five |
| 50 (п'ятдесят) | [pʲjatdɛsʲat] | fifty |
| 55 (п'ятдесят п'ять) | [pʲjatdɛsʲat pʲjatʲ] | fifty-five |
To express the time, we use the formula: <hour> + "години" (hours) + <number> + "хвилин" (minutes). For example, "три години сорок п'ять хвилин" would mean "three hours and forty-five minutes."
To ask for the time, you can use the following phrases:
- Котра година? (What time is it?)
- О котрій годині? (At what time?)
To answer, you can use the same formula as above. For example, "сім години двадцять хвилин" would mean "seven hours and twenty minutes."
Practice
Now let's practice asking for and giving the time in Ukrainian! Here are some situations you might encounter:
Asking for the Time
- When meeting a friend: "Котра година?"
- While waiting for a train: "О котрій годині прибуває поїзд?"
- While waiting for a movie to start: "О котрій годині починається фільм?"
- While making plans: "О котрій годині ми зустрінемось?"
Giving the Time
- When meeting a friend: "Дві години."
- While waiting for a train: "Поїзд прибуває о п'ятій годині."
- While waiting for a movie to start: "Фільм починається о шостій годині."
- While making plans: "Давай зустрінемось о шостій годині вечора."
Try practicing with a friend or language partner! It's important to get comfortable asking for and giving the time in Ukrainian, as it will come up often in daily life.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know how to tell time in Ukrainian! Remember to use the 24-hour clock and the formulas we learned today: "година" (hour) + <number> + "хвилин" (minutes) for expressing time, and "Котра година?" (What time is it?) for asking for the time. Keep practicing, and next time you're in Ukraine, you'll be able to confidently communicate about time. Good luck!