Times in Russian
Learning how to tell time in Russian is useful for everyday situations such as making appointments, reading schedules, planning travel, and discussing daily routines.
Russian time is usually written using numbers just like English, but the way it is spoken follows specific patterns.
Example:
7:37
Сейчас семь часов тридцать семь минут
This page explains how to read, write, and say time in Russian.
Asking the Time in Russian
To ask what time it is in Russian, you can say:
Который час?
This means:
What time is it?
Example response:
Сейчас три часа.
Meaning:
It is three o'clock.
Full Hours in Russian
When telling the time exactly on the hour, Russian uses the structure:
[number] час / часа / часов
The word for hour changes depending on the number.
Examples:
| Time | Russian |
|---|---|
| 1:00 | час |
| 2:00 | два часа |
| 3:00 | три часа |
| 4:00 | четыре часа |
| 5:00 | пять часов |
Example sentence:
Сейчас три часа.
Minutes Past the Hour
To express minutes past the hour, Russian adds the minutes after the hour.
Examples:
3:10
три часа десять минут
5:25
пять часов двадцать пять минут
7:37
семь часов тридцать семь минут
This hour + minutes structure is commonly used when speaking about time.
Half Past the Hour
Russian often uses the word половина (half).
Example:
3:30
половина четвёртого
This literally means:
half of the fourth hour
Quarter Past and Quarter To
Russian also has expressions for quarter past and quarter to the hour.
Examples:
3:15
четверть четвёртого
3:45
без четверти четыре
These expressions are common in spoken Russian.
Noon and Midnight
Two special words are used for 12:00.
| Time | Russian |
|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | полдень |
| 12:00 AM | полночь |
Examples:
Сейчас полдень.
Сейчас полночь.
Writing Time in Russian
Time in Russian can be written using the same numeric format used in English.
Examples:
7:00
12:30
18:45
Russia commonly uses the 24-hour clock, especially in schedules, transportation, and official contexts.
Examples:
| Time | Spoken |
|---|---|
| 14:00 | четырнадцать часов |
| 18:30 | восемнадцать часов тридцать минут |
Practice Times in Russian
You can practice telling time in Russian using the interactive tools below.
Try Our Times In Russian Interactive Translate Tool
Test Your Knowledge. Take the Russian Numbers Quiz
Related Russian Pages
Further reference: Gramota.ru on numerals.