Telling the Time in Italian: Che Ore Sono?
How to ask and tell the time in Italian, including the special forms for one o'clock, noon and midnight, and the 24-hour clock.
Time expressions follow a neat pattern once you notice one quirk: Italian uses le with the hour, except for one o'clock.
Asking the time
- Che ore sono? — What time is it?
- Che ora è? — What time is it? (also common)
Telling the time
| Time | Italian |
|---|---|
| 1:00 | È l'una. |
| 2:00 | Sono le due. |
| 3:00 | Sono le tre. |
| 12:00 noon | È mezzogiorno. |
| 12:00 midnight | È mezzanotte. |
Only one o'clock, noon and midnight use è (singular). All other hours use sono le (plural).
Minutes
Add e for minutes past and meno for minutes to:
| Time | Italian |
|---|---|
| 3:10 | Sono le tre e dieci. |
| 3:15 | Sono le tre e un quarto. |
| 3:30 | Sono le tre e mezza. |
| 3:45 | Sono le quattro meno un quarto. |
| 3:50 | Sono le quattro meno dieci. |
At what time?
Use a with the article: alle (plural) or all' (one o'clock):
- Il treno parte alle otto. — The train leaves at eight.
- Ci vediamo all'una. — See you at one.
- La cena è alle sette e mezza. — Dinner is at half past seven.
The 24-hour clock
Timetables, tickets and announcements use the 24-hour clock:
- 18:45 — diciotto e quarantacinque
- Il treno parte alle 14:30. — The train leaves at 14:30.
Parts of the day
- la mattina — morning
- il pomeriggio — afternoon
- la sera — evening
- la notte — night
Also: di mattina (in the morning), di sera (in the evening).
Useful phrases
- A che ora? — At what time?
- In punto — exactly, on the dot: Sono le tre in punto.
- Sono in ritardo. — I'm late.
- Sono in anticipo. — I'm early.
Tips
- Learn "è l'una" separately.
- Practise with timetables.
- Use the dictionary for time-related words.
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