Telling the Time

Knowing how to tell the time in Italian is essential for daily life -- catching trains, making appointments, and understanding schedules. Italian uses a slightly different structure from English, and the 24-hour clock is very common in official contexts.

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Asking the Time

The most common way to ask the time:

Italian	English
Che ore sono?	What time is it?
Che ora è?	What time is it? (also correct)
A che ora...?	At what time...?
Scusi, ha l'ora?	Excuse me, do you have the time? (formal)

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Telling the Time: The Basics

Italian uses the verb essere (to be) to tell the time. The structure changes depending on the hour.

For 1:00 (Singular)

• È l'una. -- It is one o'clock.
• È l'una e dieci. -- It is ten past one.

For All Other Hours (Plural)

• Sono le due. -- It is two o'clock.
• Sono le tre e un quarto. -- It is quarter past three.
• Sono le cinque e mezza. -- It is half past five.

Special Times