Learn how to tell the time in Russian.
The 24-hour clock is widely used in Russian, although the 12-hour clock is also common, particularly in less formal situations.
Asking the time
| сколько времени? | what's the time? |
| который час? | what's the time? |
| скажите, пожалуйста, сколько времени? | could you tell me the time, please? |
| не подскажете который час? | do you happen to have the time? |
| вы знаете сколько сейчас времени? | do you know what time it is? |
Telling the time
| сейчас ... | it's ... |
| ровно ... | exactly ... |
| примерно ... | about ... |
| почти ... | almost ... |
| немного больше, чем ... | just gone ... |
| час | one o'clock |
| два часа | two o'clock |
| три часа | three o'clock |
| четыре часа | four o'clock |
| пять часов | five o'clock |
| шесть часов | six o'clock |
| семь часов | seven o'clock |
| восемь часов | eight o'clock |
| девять часов | nine o'clock |
| десять часов | ten o'clock |
| одиннадцать часов | eleven o'clock |
| двенадцать часов | twelve o'clock |
| четверть второго | quarter past one (literally: a quarter of two) |
| четверть третьего | quarter past two (literally: a quarter of three) |
| половина второго | half past one (literally: a half of two) |
| половина третьего | half past two (literally: a half of three) |
| без четверти два | quarter to two |
| без четверти три | quarter to three |
| пять минут второго | five past one |
| десять минут второго | ten past one |
| двадцать минут второго | twenty past one |
| двадцать пять минут второго | twenty-five past one |
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| без пяти два | five to two |
| без десяти два | ten to two |
| без двадцати два | twenty to two |
| без двадцати пяти два | twenty-five to two |
| десять часов пятнадцать минут | ten fifteen |
| десять часов тридцать минут | ten thirty |
| десять часов сорок пять минут | ten forty-five |
| десять часов утра | ten am |
| шесть часов вечера | six pm |
| полдень | noon |
| полночь | midnight |
It's also possible to state the time in Russian by saying the hour followed by the minutes. This can be followed by утра (from 4am until noon), дня (from noon until 5pm), вечера (from 5pm until midnight), or ночи (from midnight until 4am), if necessary, eg:
| десять сорок два утра | 10.42am |
| четыре пятнадцать дня | 4.15pm |
Clocks
| мои часы ... | my watch is ... |
| спешат | fast |
| отстают | slow |
| эти часы немного ... | that clock's a little ... |
| спешат | fast |
| отстают | slow |
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Sound is available for all the Russian phrases on this page — simply click on any phrase to hear it.
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