Complete guide to telling the time in Italian — covers both 12‑hour clock and 24‑hour clock (used for timetables, travel, formal times).
Basic Questions & Key Rules
⚠️ GOLDEN RULES (same for both 12h and 24h):
- For 1 o’clock always use: È l’una… (singular)
- For all other hours use: Sono le… (plural)
- You can express time in two ways: hour + minutes OR next hour minus minutes remaining
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Che ore sono? | keh oh‑reh soh‑no | What time is it? Most common way to ask |
| Che ora è? | keh oh‑rah eh | What time is it? Also correct, slightly more formal |
| È l’una… | eh loo‑nah… | It is 1 o’clock… Only for 1:00, 1:15, 1:30 etc. |
| Sono le… | soh‑no leh… | It is… Used for 2 o’clock up to 12 / 24 |
| Mezzogiorno | med‑dzo‑jor‑noh | Midday / Noon (12:00 / 12:00) |
| Mezzanotte | med‑dza‑not‑teh | Midnight (12:00 / 24:00) |
12-hour clock Minutes, Quarters & Half Past
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning & Example |
|---|---|---|
| e un quarto | eh oon kwahr‑toh | Quarter past / + 15 minutes Es: È l’una e un quarto = 1:15 |
| e mezza | eh med‑dzah | Half past / + 30 minutes Es: Sono le due e mezza = 2:30 |
| meno un quarto | meh‑no oon kwahr‑toh | Quarter to / − 15 minutes Es: Sono le due meno un quarto = 1:45 |
| e [minuti] | eh … | … minutes past Es: Sono le tre e dieci = 3:10 |
| meno [minuti] | meh‑no … | … minutes to / less … minutes Es: Sono le sei meno dieci = 5:50 |
Parts of the Day — Clarifying Time
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| di mattina | dee mah‑tee‑nah | In the morning (midnight → ~12:30) |
| di pomeriggio | dee poh‑meh‑ree‑joh | In the afternoon (~12:30 → ~18:00/19:00) |
| di sera | dee seh‑rah | In the evening (~18:00/19:00 → ~22:00/23:00) |
| di notte | dee not‑teh | At night (~22:00/23:00 → midnight) |
Examples (from your handout)
| Time | Italian |
|---|---|
| 3:10 | Sono le tre e dieci |
| 4:25 | Sono le quattro e venticinque |
| 5:50 | Sono le sei meno dieci |
24‑Hour Clock
Used for timetables, trains, buses, opening hours, official times and written schedules. No “meno” or “e un quarto” here — you always say the full number of minutes.
How it works
ℹ️ RULES:
- Hours go from 01:00 (1 am) up to 24:00 (midnight)
- You always say: Sono le [hour] e [minutes]
- Never use meno or e un quarto / e mezza — always state exact minutes
- No need for di mattina / di sera — the number tells you exactly
Key Expressions & Examples
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sono le … e … | soh‑no leh … eh … | It is … hours and … minutes Es: Sono le quattordici e trenta = 14:30 (2:30 pm) |
| Alle … | al‑leh … | At … (used for times / schedules) Es: Il treno parte alle venti = The train leaves at 20:00 (8 pm) |
| Le ore … | leh oh‑reh … | The hour / At … (written) Es: Aperto dalle otto alle diciannove = Open from 08:00 to 19:00 |
| Mezzogiorno | med‑dzo‑jor‑noh | 12:00 |
| Mezzanotte | med‑dza‑not‑teh | 24:00 / 00:00 |
Common 24‑hour examples
| 24h Time | Italian | 12h Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 08:15 | Sono le otto e quindici | 8:15 am |
| 13:45 | Sono le tredici e quarantacinque | 1:45 pm |
| 16:30 | Sono le sedici e trenta | 4:30 pm |
| 21:05 | Sono le ventuno e cinque | 9:05 pm |
General Useful Phrases
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| A che ora…? | ah keh oh‑rah…? | At what time…? |
| Che ora apre? | keh oh‑rah ah‑preh? | What time does it open? |
| Che ora chiude? | keh oh‑rah kyoo‑deh? | What time does it close? |
| È presto / È tardi | eh pres‑toh / eh tar‑dee | It is early / It is late |
| In orario | een oh‑rah‑ryoh | On time |
| In ritardo | een ree‑tar‑doh | Late / Delayed |
| Con un po’ di anticipo | kon oon poh dee an‑tee‑chee‑poh | A bit early / In good time |