01 / 08
Ask the time
Che ore sono?
What time is it?
Use the plural question che ore sono, even when the answer will be one o’clock.
02 / 08
One is different
È l’una.
eh LOO-nah
It’s one o’clock.
Sono le tre.
It’s three o’clock.
One o’clock uses è l’una. All the other hours use sono le.
03 / 08
After the hour
Sono le tre e un quarto.
It’s quarter past three.
Sono le tre e mezza.
It’s half past three.
Add e and the minutes. Un quarto means fifteen minutes; mezza means half past.
04 / 08
Before the hour
Sono le quattro meno un quarto.
It’s quarter to four.
Sono le tre e quarantacinque.
It’s three forty-five.
Meno un quarto counts back fifteen minutes from the next hour. Four minus a quarter is 3:45.
05 / 08
At what time?
A che ora ci vediamo?
What time shall we meet?
Alle otto. / All’una.
At eight. / At one.
A che ora asks when something happens. Answers use all’una for one, alle for other numbered hours.
06 / 08
Opening hours
Aperto dalle nove alle diciotto.
Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A che ora chiude?
What time does it close?
Timetables often use the 24-hour clock. Dalle… alle… gives the start and end of a time range.
07 / 08
Avoid a missed meeting
Alle otto di sera, va bene?
At eight in the evening, is that okay?
Sì, alle venti.
Yes, at 20:00.
Eight could mean morning or evening. Add di mattina or di sera when context is not enough.
Remember this
Takeaway
Sono le sei. Ci vediamo alle sette.
It’s six. We’ll meet at seven.
Sono le tells the current time; alle tells the time of an event.