Telling the Time — Russian Grammar

Russian tells the time with the ordinary numbers and the words (chasčas) (hour) and (minúta) (minute), which follow the number rules. In everyday speech there is also a system based on the hour that is in progress.

Asking

Кото́рый час?
Kotóryy chas?Kotóryj čas?
What time is it?
Ско́лько сейча́с вре́мени?
Skól'ko seychás vrémeni?Skólʹko sejčás vrémeni?
What time is it now?

Full Hours

(ChasČas) follows the number: (chasčas) after one (and the number itself is usually left out), (chasáčasá) after two to four, (chasóvčasóv) from five.

Сейча́с час.
Seychás chas.Sejčás čas.
It's one o'clock.
Сейча́с три часа́.
Seychás tri chasá.Sejčás tri časá.
It's three o'clock.
Сейча́с семь часо́в.
Seychás sem' chasóv.Sejčás semʹ časóv.
It's seven o'clock.

Hours and Minutes

The simplest way is to say the hours and then the minutes.

Сейча́с два часа́ два́дцать мину́т.
Seychás dva chasá dvádtsat' minút.Sejčás dva časá dvádcatʹ minút.
It's two twenty.

Half and Quarter

Russian counts towards the next hour. (Polovína) (half) is followed by the ordinal of the next hour in the genitive, so 2:30 is "half of the third". 2:15 is "a quarter of the third".

Сейча́с полови́на тре́тьего.
Seychás polovína trét'yego.Sejčás polovína trétʹjego.
It's half past two.
Сейча́с че́тверть тре́тьего.
Seychás chétvert' trét'yego.Sejčás čétvertʹ trétʹjego.
It's a quarter past two.

To the hour is (bez) (without) with the genitive: "without a quarter three".

Сейча́с без че́тверти три.
Seychás bez chétverti tri.Sejčás bez čétverti tri.
It's a quarter to three.

Morning and Evening

Russian distinguishes the time of day with the genitive of the part of the day.

(utrá) - in the morning (4 am to noon)
(dnyadnja) - in the afternoon
(vécheravéčera) - in the evening
(nóchinóči) - at night

В семь часо́в утра́.
V sem' chasóv utrá.V semʹ časóv utrá.
At seven in the morning.
В де́вять часо́в ве́чера.
V dévyat' chasóv véchera.V dévjatʹ časóv véčera.
At nine in the evening.

At What Time

At a time is в with the accusative. With (polovína), the prepositional is used: (v polovíne trét'yegov polovíne trétʹjego).

Уро́к начина́ется в де́вять.
Urók nachináyetsya v dévyat'.Urók načinájetsja v dévjatʹ.
The lesson starts at nine.
Во ско́лько ты встаёшь?
Vo skól'ko ty vstayósh'?Vo skólʹko ty vstajóšʹ?
What time do you get up?

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