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Asking for time

Common expressions

Whats the time? /Qu hora es?

Do you have the time?/Tiene la hora? What time is it now?/ Qu hora es?

Can you tell me the time, please?/ Podra decirme la hora, por favor?

Do you know what time it is?7 Sabe qu hora es?

Have you got the time?/ Tiene la hora?

Giving the time

Formal but easier way

Say the hours first and then the minutes.

Example: 7:45 - seven forty-five

For minutes 01 through 09, you can pronounce the '0' as oh.

Example: 11:06 - eleven (oh) six

More popular way

Say the minutes first and then the hours. Use pastand the preceding hour for minutes 01 through

30. Use toand the forthcoming hour for minutes 31 through 59, but .

Example: 7.15 - fifteen minutes past seven

Example: 7.45 - fifteen minutes to eight

Another possibility of saying '15 minutes past' is: a quarter past

Another possibility of saying '15 minutes to' is: a quarter to

Another possibility of saying '30 minutes past' is: half past

Example: 5:30 - half past five

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Watch

Note

Use o'clockonly at the full hour.

Example: 7:00 - seven o'clock (but 7:10 - ten past seven)

In English ordinary speech, the twelve-hour clock is used.

Beispiel: 17:20 - twenty past five

For times around midnight or midday you can use the

expressions midnightor midday/nooninstead of the number 12.

Beispiel: 00:00 - midnight

Beispiel: 12:00 - midday or noon

To make clear (where necessary) whether you mean a time before 12 o'clock noon or after, you

can use in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night. Use in the morningbefore 12o'clock noon, after 12 o'clock noon use in the afternoon. When to change

from afternoonto evening, from eveningto nightand from nightto morningdepends on your sense

of time.

Example: 3:15 - a quarter past three in the morning OR a quarter past three at

night

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/time

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More formal expressions to indicate whether a time is before noon or after are a.m. (also: am -

ante meridiem, before noon) and p.m. (also: pm - post meridiem, after noon). Use these

expression only with the formal way of telling the time.

Example: 3:15 - three fifteen a.m.

It is not usual to use a.m. and p.m. with past/to.

Example: 3:15 - fifteen minutes past three OR a quarter past three

American English

Beside pastAmericans often use after.

Example: 06:10 - ten past/after six

But: in time expressions with half pastit is not usual to replace pastby after.

Beside toAmericans often use before, ofor till.

Example: 05:50 - ten to/before/of/till six

Changed: 10th Dec 2010 19:36

URL: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/time

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Listen to the recording and complete the conversation

(15 points)

1)a. Excuse me, Whats ____ _______ ?

b. Ah, its _______ _______ .

a. Thanks.

2)a. _____ you have ____ _____ ?

b. Let me ____ . Yeah. _____ ____

a. Two ten. Thanks

3)a. What ______ _______ _____ now?

b. Hey, its exactly ______ _______. _______.

Happy New Year.

4)a. ________________________, please?b. Yeah, ____________________ .

a. Wow. Im late. Thanks.

5) a. ______________________ time it is?

b. Yeah, ___________________.

a. Thanks a lot.

6) a. Im late again. ____________________ ?

b. __________________________.

a. Thanks

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Key

1)a. Excuse me, Whats the time ?

b. Ah, its ten fifteen .

a. Thanks.

2)a. Do you have the time ?

b. Let me see. Yeah. Two ten.

a. Two ten. Thanks

3)a. What time is it now?

b. Hey, its exactly 12 oclock. Midnight. Happy New

Year.

4) a. Can you tell me the time, please?

b. Yeah, its eleve-thirty .

a. Wow. Im late. Thanks.

5) a. Do you know time it is?

b. Yeah, its three forty-five.

a. Thanks a lot.

6) a. Im late again. What time is it now ?

b. its seven fifity-five.

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a. Thanks