Language/Russian/Vocabulary/Telling-Time

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Russian → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Telling Time

Welcome to the “Telling Time” lesson! Understanding how to tell time in Russian is essential for everyday conversations and navigating daily life in Russian-speaking countries. Whether you're setting up a meeting, asking about train schedules, or simply making plans with friends, knowing how to express time accurately is invaluable.

In this lesson, we will cover:

• The vocabulary for hours and minutes

• How to differentiate between AM and PM

• Examples to illustrate each point

• Exercises to practice what you've learned

By the end of this lesson, you will feel confident in your ability to tell the time in Russian, a skill that will certainly enhance your communication abilities as you progress through your language journey.

Understanding the Basics

Before we dive into the specifics of telling time, let’s familiarize ourselves with some basic vocabulary related to time.

Key Vocabulary

Here are some essential words that you will need for telling time:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
час	chas	hour
часы	chasy	clock / watch
минут	minut	minute
утро	utro	morning
день	den'	day
вечер	vecher	evening
ночь	noch'	night

With these words in mind, let’s explore how to express time in Russian!

Telling the Hour

In Russian, telling the hour is straightforward. You simply state the hour followed by the word "час" (chas) for one o'clock and "часа" (chasa) for two o'clock and above. Here's how it works:

• 1:00 - Один час (Odin chas)

• 2:00 - Два часа (Dva chasa)

• 3:00 - Три часа (Tri chasa)

Let's look at some more examples in a table format:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
1:00	Odin chas	1:00
2:00	Dva chasa	2:00
3:00	Tri chasa	3:00
4:00	Chetyre chasa	4:00
5:00	Pyat' chasov	5:00
6:00	Shest' chasov	6:00
7:00	Syem' chasov	7:00
8:00	Vosem' chasov	8:00
9:00	Devyat' chasov	9:00
10:00	Desyat' chasov	10:00
11:00	Odinnadtsat' chasov	11:00
12:00	Dvenadtsat' chasov	12:00

Telling the Minutes

Now that you know how to say the hours, let’s add minutes into the mix. In Russian, minutes are stated after the hour. The word for minute is "минута" (minuta) in the singular form and "минут" (minut) in the plural form.

For example:

• 1:15 - Один час пятнадцать минут (Odin chas pyatnadtsat' minut)

• 3:30 - Три часа тридцать минут (Tri chasa tridtsat' minut)

Let’s see more examples:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
1:05	Odin chas pyat' minut	1:05
2:10	Dva chasa desyat' minut	2:10
3:15	Tri chasa pyatnadtsat' minut	3:15
4:20	Chetyre chasa dvadtsat' minut	4:20
5:25	Pyat' chasov dvinadtsat' minut	5:25
6:30	Shest' chasov tridtsat' minut	6:30
7:35	Syem' chasov tridesyat' pyat' minut	7:35
8:40	Vosem' chasov sorok minut	8:40
9:45	Devyat' chasov sorok pyat' minut	9:45
10:50	Desyat' chasov pyat' minut	10:50
11:55	Odinnadtsat' chasov pyat' minut	11:55
12:00	Dvenadtsat' chasov nol' minut	12:00

AM and PM

In Russian, we also need to distinguish between AM and PM to clarify the time of day.

• AM is usually implied when you mention the time in the morning. However, if you want to specify, you can say “утром” (utrom).

• PM can be specified by saying “вечером” (vecherom) for the evening or “ночью” (noch'yu) for the night.

Here’s how you can express this:

• 1:00 AM - Один час утра (Odin chas utra)

• 1:00 PM - Один час вечера (Odin chas vechera)

Let’s see a few more examples:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
1:00 AM	Odin chas utra	1:00 AM
1:00 PM	Odin chas vechera	1:00 PM
5:00 AM	Pyat' chas utra	5:00 AM
5:00 PM	Pyat' chas vechera	5:00 PM
9:00 AM	Devyat' chas utra	9:00 AM
9:00 PM	Devyat' chas vechera	9:00 PM
11:00 AM	Odinnadtsat' chas utra	11:00 AM
11:00 PM	Odinnadtsat' chas vechera	11:00 PM

Practice Exercises

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to practice what you’ve learned! Below are some exercises to help reinforce your understanding of telling time in Russian.

1. Translate the following times into Russian:

• 2:15

• 3:30

• 4:45

• 6:00 AM

• 8:00 PM

2. Write out the time in Russian for these prompts:

• 7:05

• 10:20

• 12:55

• 11:15 AM

• 1:45 PM

3. Convert the following sentences into English:

• Один час тридцать минут.

• Два часа пять минут.

• Четыре часа четырнадцать минут.

• Девять часов утра.

• Двенадцать часов вечера.

4. Fill in the blanks with the correct time:

• ____ (2:00) утра

• ____ (3:00) вечера

• ____ (5:30) ночи

5. Create sentences using the following times, indicating whether they are AM or PM:

• 4:00

• 9:00

• 1:00

6. Match the Russian phrases to their English translations:

• Один час утра

• Два часа вечера

• Три часа тридцать минут

7. Respond to the following questions in Russian:

• What time is it? (Provide your answer in Russian)

• When do you usually wake up and go to bed?

8. Practice making your own sentences:

• Write three sentences telling the time in different formats.

9. Listen and repeat:

• Find someone to practice with. Say the times in both Russian and English to reinforce your learning.

10. Self-assessment:

• Rate your understanding of telling time from 1 to 5, with 1 being not confident and 5 being very confident.

Solutions to Exercises

Here are the solutions to the exercises for your reference.

1.

• 2:15 - Два часа пятнадцать минут

• 3:30 - Три часа тридцать минут

• 4:45 - Четыре часа сорок пять минут

• 6:00 AM - Шесть часов утра

• 8:00 PM - Восемь часов вечера

2.

• 7:05 - Семь часов пять минут

• 10:20 - Десять часов двадцать минут

• 12:55 - Двенадцать часов пятьдесят пять минут

• 11:15 AM - Одиннадцать часов пятнадцать минут утра

• 1:45 PM - Один час сорок пять минут вечера

3.

• 1:30 - One hour and thirty minutes.

• 2:05 - Two hours and five minutes.

• 4:14 - Four hours and fourteen minutes.

• 9:00 AM - Nine o'clock in the morning.

• 12:00 PM - Twelve o'clock in the evening.

4.

• Два часа (2:00) утра

• Три часа (3:00) вечера

• Пять часов (5:30) ночи

5.

• Четыре часа утра (4:00 AM)

• Девять часов вечера (9:00 PM)

• Один час вечера (1:00 PM)

6.

• Один час утра - One hour in the morning

• Два часа вечера - Two hours in the evening

• Три часа тридцать минут - Three hours and thirty minutes

7.

• What time is it? (Answer with current time in Russian)

• Утром я встаю в ____, а ложусь спать в ____.

8.

• Students will write their own sentences.

9.

• This is a practice activity; students will engage with peers.

10.

• Students will self-assess.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing the lesson on telling time in Russian! You now have the skills to express hours and minutes, as well as the ability to specify AM and PM.

Keep practicing, and don’t hesitate to use these expressions in your daily life or conversations with Russian speakers. The more you practice, the more natural it will become. Remember, learning a language is a journey, and every step you take brings you closer to fluency.

Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Russian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Cyrillic Alphabet
• Pronunciation Rules

  ---

Basic Phrases and Greetings

• Greetings and Introductions
• Everyday Phrases

  ---

Nouns and Gender

• Noun Gender
• Plurals

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Cases and Prepositions

• Nominative Case
• Prepositional Case

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships and Marital Status

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Dining Out

  ---

Russian Traditions and Holidays

• National Holidays
• Traditional Celebrations

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Hobbies
• Entertainment

  ---

Russian Literature and Arts

• Famous Writers
• Russian Art and Music

Sources

• How to tell time in Russian
• How To Tell The Time In Russian
• How to Tell Time in Russian

Other Lessons

• Health
• Beach
• Fruits
• Parts of the Body
• Street
• Music
• Entertainment
• Countries and Continents
• At Home
• Family Members

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