Telling time

When you need to find out the time, ask: Кото́рый (сейча́с) час?

You'll hear in reply:

Сейча́с час.It's one o'clock.
Сейча́с два часа́.It's two o'clock.
Сейча́с де́сять часо́в.It's ten o'clock.

When you need to know WHEN? you may use one of the following two

questions: Когда́? and В кото́ром часу́?

There are two ways of answering these questions:

  1. Когда́? This is less specific and may be answered by saying:

    У́тром.In the morning (from about 5:00 am to noon)
    Днём.In the daytime (from noon to about 6:00 pm)
    Ве́чером.In the evening (from 6:00 pm to midnight)
    Но́чью.At night (from midnight to about 5:00 am)

  2. В кото́ром часу́? This is more specific and indicates the hour:

    В час.At one o'clock.
    В два/три/четы́ре (часа́).At two/three/four o'clock.
    В пять/шесть/семь (часо́в)At five/six/seven o'clock.

    В во́семь /де́вять /де́сять (часо́в)

    В оди́ннадцать /двена́дцать (часо́в)

    At eight /nine /ten

    At eleven /twelve o'clock.

To indicate am add но́чи or у́тра after the hour:

В час но́чи. В семь часо́в утра́.

For p_m, add дня or ве́чера.

В два часа́ дня. В оди́ннадцать часо́в ве́чера.

То indicate partial hours, Russian uses a very complex system which is gradually being replaced by a simpler one based on the 24-hour clock. Study the following examples:

В час.At 1:00 am.
В четы́ре три́дцать.At 4:30 am.
В де́вять со́рок пять.At 9:45 am.
В трина́дцать де́сять.At 1:10 pm. (13:10)
В семна́дцать три́дцать.At 5:30 pm. (17:30)
В два́дцать пятна́дцать.At 8:15 pm. (20:15)
В два́дцать три три́дцать.At 11:30 pm. (23:30)

But you will also hear these:

В полови́не пя́того утра́.At 4:30am. (lit. half five in the morning)
Без пятна́дцати де́сять утра́.At 9:45am. (lit. 10 less 15 [minutes])
В де́сять мину́т второ́го.At 1:10pm. (lit. 10 minutes of the second hour)
В полови́не шесто́го ве́чера.At 5:30pm. (lit. half six in the evening)