What time is it? A question which seems so simple to answer in your native language can cause a few problems in a new language! But not to worry, with a bit of practice, you’ll pick it up easily. Find out how to tell the time in Italian, in episode 31 of 5 minute Italian.

Learn to speak and understand Italian faster! To get bonus materials for this lesson including a quiz and flashcards, visit our website here: http://joyoflanguages.com/how-to-tell-the-time-in-italian/

Today's words
Che ore sono? = What time is it?

Hours
Sono le otto = it’s eight o’clock (literally: they are the eight)
Sono le nove = it’s nine o’clock (literally: they are the nine)
Sono le dieci = it’s ten o’clock (literally: they are the ten)

Minutes past
Sono le otto e dieci = it’s ten past eight (literally: they are the eight and ten)
Sono le otto e venti = it’s twenty past eight (literally: they are the eight and twenty)
Sono le otto e venticinque = it’s twenty past eight (literally: they are the eight and twenty-five)
Sono le otto e un quarto = it’s quarter past eight/eight fifteen
Sono le otto e mezza = it’s half past eight/eight thirty

Minutes to
Sono le nove meno dieci = it’s ten to nine (literally: they are the nine minus ten)
Sono le nove meno venti = it’s twenty to nine (literally: they are the nine minus twenty)
Sono le nove meno un quarto = it’s quarter to nine

Intro: Ciao by Lee Maddeford(Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License).