{"id":272789,"date":"2026-07-19T03:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T08:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=272789"},"modified":"2026-07-19T03:00:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T08:00:03","slug":"tell-time-english-a1-a1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.us\/fr\/blog\/tell-time-english-a1-a1\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell Time in English: A1 Vocabulary Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>To tell time in English, you can use two main ways: the &#8216;past\/to&#8217; method or the simpler &#8216;digital&#8217; method.<\/strong> The &#8216;past\/to&#8217; method uses words like <span data-no-translation>past<\/span> for minutes after the hour and <span data-no-translation>to<\/span> for minutes before the hour. For example, <span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s ten past three<\/span> (3:10) or <span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s twenty to five<\/span> (4:40). The &#8216;digital&#8217; method is very easy: you just say the numbers you see, like <span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s three ten<\/span> (3:10) or <span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s four forty<\/span> (4:40). You will also learn special phrases for 15 minutes (<span data-no-translation>a quarter<\/span>) and 30 minutes (<span data-no-translation>half past<\/span>). This guide will help you understand both methods clearly.<\/div>\n<h2>How do you ask about the time?<\/h2>\n<p>When you want to know what time it is, you can use a simple question.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>What time is it?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>What&#8217;s the time?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are the most common ways to ask.<\/p>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-blended\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0E63C4,#0A2540);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83c\udf93 Apprenez l'anglais gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la m\u00e9thode mixte<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;opacity:.95;\">Petits groupes \u00b7 Tuteur IA disponible 24 h\/24, 7 j\/7 \u00b7 Pr\u00e9paration aux examens de Cambridge<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:18px;\">Plans provenant de <strong><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">$<\/span>39<\/bdi><\/span><\/strong> <s style=\"opacity:.6;\"><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">$<\/span>79<\/bdi><\/span><\/s> par mois<\/p><a href=\"\/fr\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#0E63C4;\">R\u00e9servez votre cours<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>How do you say exact hours?<\/h2>\n<p>For exact hours, we use the word <span data-no-translation>o&#8217;clock<\/span>. This means &#8216;of the clock&#8217;.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s one o&#8217;clock.<\/span> (1:00)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s seven o&#8217;clock.<\/span> (7:00)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s eleven o&#8217;clock.<\/span> (11:00)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We only use <span data-no-translation>o&#8217;clock<\/span> when there are no minutes.<\/p>\n<h2>How do you say minutes after the hour? (The &#8216;past&#8217; method)<\/h2>\n<p>When the minutes are from 1 to 30, we use the word <span data-no-translation>past<\/span>. We say the minutes first, then <span data-no-translation>past<\/span>, then the hour.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s five past two.<\/span> (2:05)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s ten past nine.<\/span> (9:10)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s twenty-five past six.<\/span> (6:25)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember: minutes first, then <span data-no-translation>past<\/span>, then the hour.<\/p>\n<h2>How do you say minutes before the hour? (The &#8216;to&#8217; method)<\/h2>\n<p>When the minutes are from 31 to 59, we use the word <span data-no-translation>to<\/span>. We say how many minutes are left until the next hour.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s twenty-five to four.<\/span> (3:35)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s ten to eight.<\/span> (7:50)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s five to twelve.<\/span> (11:55)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Think about the next hour. How many minutes until then?<\/p>\n<h2>What about special times: 15 and 30 minutes?<\/h2>\n<p>For 15 minutes and 30 minutes, we have special words:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>15 minutes:<\/strong> We say <span data-no-translation>a quarter<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s a quarter past three.<\/span> (3:15)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s a quarter to nine.<\/span> (8:45)<\/li>\n<li><strong>30 minutes:<\/strong> We say <span data-no-translation>half past<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s half past five.<\/span> (5:30)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s half past ten.<\/span> (10:30)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are very common ways to say these times.<\/p>\n<h2>How do you say time the &#8216;digital&#8217; way?<\/h2>\n<p>This is often the easiest way for beginners. You just say the numbers you see on a digital clock.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s three fifteen.<\/span> (3:15)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s seven thirty.<\/span> (7:30)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s one forty-two.<\/span> (1:42)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s nine fifty-five.<\/span> (9:55)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This method is simple and always correct.<\/p>\n<table>\n<caption>Summary of How to Tell Time in English<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Time<\/th>\n<th>Common Way (Past\/To)<\/th>\n<th>Digital Way<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>1:00<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s one o&#8217;clock.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s one o&#8217;clock.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>2:05<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s five past two.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s two oh five.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>3:15<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s a quarter past three.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s three fifteen.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>4:30<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s half past four.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s four thirty.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>5:40<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s twenty to six.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s five forty.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>6:45<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s a quarter to seven.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s six forty-five.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Exemples<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>What time is it? It&#8217;s six o&#8217;clock.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The train leaves at a quarter past eight.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I have lunch at half past twelve.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The movie starts at twenty to seven.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Can we meet at four forty-five?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s eight minutes past three.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Entra\u00eenement<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-366\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"366\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"B05 L6 VOCABULARY Time\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-whatsapp\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#3DB16A,#1f8a4c);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83d\udcac Vous avez besoin de conseils personnalis\u00e9s ?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">En tant que centre de pr\u00e9paration agr\u00e9\u00e9 par Cambridge, nous pouvons vous aider \u00e0 choisir la formation et la certification qui vous conviennent. Discutez-en d\u00e8s aujourd'hui avec nos conseillers.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/51980473286\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#1f8a4c;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Discutez avec un conseiller sur WhatsApp<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones<\/h2>\n<p>Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Using &#8216;hour&#8217; instead of &#8216;time&#8217;:<\/strong> In Spanish, you might say &#8216;\u00bfQu\u00e9 hora es?&#8217;. In English, we say <span data-no-translation>What time is it?<\/span> (NOT: <span data-no-translation>What hour is it?<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Missing &#8216;at&#8217; for appointments:<\/strong> In Spanish, &#8216;a las cinco&#8217;. In English, it&#8217;s <span data-no-translation>at five o&#8217;clock<\/span>. (NOT: <span data-no-translation>in five o&#8217;clock<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>the five o&#8217;clock<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusing &#8216;past&#8217; and &#8216;to&#8217;:<\/strong> Remember <span data-no-translation>past<\/span> is for minutes after the hour, and <span data-no-translation>to<\/span> is for minutes before the next hour.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Saying &#8216;and a half&#8217; for 30 minutes:<\/strong> In Spanish, &#8216;y media&#8217;. In English, it&#8217;s <span data-no-translation>half past<\/span>. (NOT: <span data-no-translation>three and a half<\/span> for 3:30)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Questions fr\u00e9quemment pos\u00e9es<\/h2>\n<h3>What is the difference between &#8216;AM&#8217; and &#8216;PM&#8217;?<\/h3>\n<p><span data-no-translation>AM<\/span> is for times from midnight (12:00 at night) to just before noon (12:00 in the day). <span data-no-translation>PM<\/span> is for times from noon (12:00 in the day) to just before midnight. For example, <span data-no-translation>7 AM<\/span> is morning, and <span data-no-translation>7 PM<\/span> is evening.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I always need to say &#8216;It&#8217;s&#8217; when telling the time?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, usually. When you answer the question <span data-no-translation>What time is it?<\/span>, you start with <span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s&#8230;<\/span>. For example, <span data-no-translation>It&#8217;s ten o&#8217;clock.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Can I use the digital way for all times?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, the digital way (e.g., <span data-no-translation>three fifteen<\/span>) is always correct and easy to understand. It is very common, especially in informal situations.<\/p>\n<h3>What does &#8216;a quarter&#8217; mean in time?<\/h3>\n<p>A quarter means 15 minutes. So, <span data-no-translation>a quarter past three<\/span> means 15 minutes after 3 (3:15), and <span data-no-translation>a quarter to four<\/span> means 15 minutes before 4 (3:45).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To tell time in English, you can use two main ways: the &#8216;past\/to&#8217; method or the simpler &#8216;digital&#8217; method. The &#8216;past\/to&#8217; method uses words like past for minutes after the hour and to for minutes before the hour. For example, It&#8217;s ten past three (3:10) or It&#8217;s twenty to five (4:40). The &#8216;digital&#8217; method is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":272916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"Clock time","langcom_cefr":"A1","langcom_type":"vocabulary","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"What is the difference between 'AM' and 'PM'?\", \"a\": \"<span data-no-translation>AM<\/span> is for times from midnight (12:00 at night) to just before noon (12:00 in the day). <span data-no-translation>PM<\/span> is for times from noon (12:00 in the day) to just before midnight. For example, <span data-no-translation>7 AM<\/span> is morning, and <span data-no-translation>7 PM<\/span> is evening.\"}, {\"q\": \"Do I always need to say 'It's' when telling the time?\", \"a\": \"Yes, usually. When you answer the question <span data-no-translation>What time is it?<\/span>, you start with <span data-no-translation>It's...<\/span>. For example, <span data-no-translation>It's ten o'clock.<\/span>\"}, {\"q\": \"Can I use the digital way for all times?\", \"a\": \"Yes, the digital way (e.g., <span data-no-translation>three fifteen<\/span>) is always correct and easy to understand. It is very common, especially in informal situations.\"}, {\"q\": \"What does 'a quarter' mean in time?\", \"a\": \"A quarter means 15 minutes. So, <span data-no-translation>a quarter past three<\/span> means 15 minutes after 3 (3:15), and <span data-no-translation>a quarter to four<\/span> means 15 minutes before 4 (3:45).\"}]","rank_math_title":"Learn to Tell Time in English (A1 Level)","rank_math_description":"Master telling time in English with this A1 guide from Langcom. Learn 'o'clock,' 'past,' 'to,' and digital time. 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