Telling the Time in Russian

Telling the time in Russian is straightforward once you know a few patterns.

Asking the time

• Который час? (kotory chas?), What time is it?
• Сколько времени? (skol'ko vremeni?), What time is it?

Answering on the hour

The word for hour is час, and it changes with the number, just like other nouns:

• Сейчас час. It is one o'clock.
• Сейчас два часа. It is two o'clock.
• Сейчас пять часов. It is five o'clock.

Past the hour

Use минут for minutes, and numbers for the clock:

• три часа пять минут, 3:05
• семь часов тридцать минут, 7:30

Half past, and quarter

Russian speakers often use "half of the next hour":

• половина третьего, half past two (literally "half of the third")
• четверть третьего, quarter past two
• без четверти три, quarter to three

Minutes to the hour

• без пяти три, five to three
• без десяти пять, ten to five

Parts of the day

• утро (utro), morning
• день (dyen'), day
• вечер (vyecher), evening
• ночь (noch'), night

You say утром (in the morning), днём, вечером and ночью.

24-hour clock

Schedules, timetables and official notices usually use the 24-hour clock, such as 18:30.

At what time

• В котором часу? (v kotorom chasu?), At what time?
• в шесть часов, at six o'clock

Tips

1. Use the 24-hour clock in timetables.
2. Learn половина and четверть.
3. Use the dictionary to check forms.

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