Telling the Time — Filipino Grammar

Time is the one area where Spanish-derived numbers are not optional. Filipinos tell the clock almost entirely in Spanish forms, so this is a small closed system worth learning as a block.

The Basic Frame: 'alas' + Number

Put before the Spanish numeral. One o'clock is the exception, taking instead.

1:00 · 2:00 · 3:00
6:00 · 7:00 · 9:00
10:00 · 11:00 · 12:00

Alas-siyete na ng umaga.
It is seven o'clock in the morning.
Anong oras ka matatapos sa trabaho? Alas sais ng gabi.
At what time do you get off work? At six pm.

Marking the Part of the Day

There is no am/pm. Instead you add plus the part of the day.

— in the morning
— at noon
— in the afternoon
— in the evening / at night

Alas sais y medya na ng gabi.
It is now half past six in the evening.

Half Past: 'y medya'

The Spanish borrowing continues into the fractions. means "and", and means "half".

Kailan ka magsisimulang magtrabaho? Alas sais y medya.
When do you start work? At half past six.

Minutes Past: 'makalipas'

For other minute counts, Tagalog says how many minutes have elapsed past the hour, using . Here the minutes are counted with the native numbers, while the hour stays Spanish — the two systems meet in a single sentence.

Labinlimang minuto makalipas ang alas onse ng umaga.
It is quarter past eleven in the morning.
Ang oras ay limampu't limang minuto makalipas ang alas nuwebe ng umaga.
It is nine fifty-five in the morning.
Makalipas ang limang minuto ay alas diyes na.
In five minutes it will be ten.

Note and — the linker is required before , exactly as with any counted noun.

Asking About Time

Anong oras na?
What time is it?
Anong oras ka matatapos sa trabaho?
What time do you finish work?
May oras ka ba? Kailangan nating mag-usap.
Do you have some time? We need to talk.

'na' — "Already"

The little particle turns up constantly in time expressions, adding the sense that the moment has arrived.

Gabi na.
It is late already. (lit. night already)
Alas-siyete na.
It is seven already.

In Practice

Digital-style readings using English numbers ("six thirty") are also completely normal in modern speech, especially among younger and urban speakers. But forms remain the standard, and you will hear them everywhere.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Filipino course

16 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 8. A few of them, with the words “Telling the Time” is about in bold:

May date ako ngayong gabi. Nagtatrabaho siya bilang isang waitress.
I have a date tonight. She works as a waitress.
Lesson 439

Comments

Loading comments…