This lesson is about how to tell the time in Italian.
Che ora è? / Che ore sono? – What time is it?
È l’una. – It’s one o’clock.
Sono le due. It’s two o’clock.
Sono le due e un quarto. It’s quarter past two.
Sono le due e venticinque.- It’s twenty-five past two.
Sono le due e mezza.- It’s half past two.
Sono le tre meno venti. – It’s twenty to three.
Sono le tre meno un quarto.- It’s quarter to three.
È mezzogiorno.- It’s midday.
È mezzanotte. – It’s midnight.
Note how the definite article is used: “Sono le tre”.
You should also remember that Italians use the “24-hour clock” a lot (rather than a.m./p.m.), even in normal conversation.
So, if you need to make a date for seven in the evening, say “alle diciannove”, not “alle sette”, and you’ll plan to get home from your evening out “alle venti-tre”, not at “alle undici”.
