Practice
Telling the time in English: past, to, and digital times
Sign in to saveA receptionist says, "Your appointment is at quarter to three." Your phone shows 2:45. These are the same time. The phrase tells you to look forward to the next hour.
Say and understand common English times, including exact hours, past, to, quarter past, half past, and digital-style times.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
quarter past four; quarter to five /ˈkwɔː.tə pɑːst fɔː/; /ˈkwɔː.tə tuː faɪv/
The short answer
Use o'clock for an exact hour. Use past for minutes after an hour and to for minutes before the next hour. Quarter means 15 minutes, and half past means 30 minutes after the named hour. You can also say the hour and minutes directly, such as eight twenty.
The clinic opens at quarter past eight.
Why it works: Quarter past eight means 8:15 because 15 minutes have passed after eight.
6 more examples
-
The class begins at seven o'clock.
Use o'clock because the time is exactly 7:00.
Not this:The class begins at
seven twenty. What changes: Name the minutes without o'clock when the time is 7:20. -
Maya's bus arrives at ten past eight.
Ten minutes have passed after eight, so the bus arrives at 8:10.
Not this:Maya's bus leaves at
ten to nine. What changes: Ten minutes remain before nine, so this time is 8:50. -
We can meet at half past one.
Half past one is 1:30, halfway through the one o'clock hour.
Not this:We can meet at
half past two. What changes: The named hour stays before half past, so this time is 2:30. -
The guided tour starts at quarter past four.
A quarter of an hour is 15 minutes, so quarter past four is 4:15.
Not this:The guided tour ends at
quarter to six. What changes: Quarter to six is 5:45 because it is 15 minutes before six. -
The train leaves at six oh seven in the morning.
Oh names the zero in a digital time with a single minute from 01 to 09.
Not this:The train leaves at
six seventeenin the morning. What changes: Say the minute number directly when it is 17. -
Please send the form by twelve noon.
Noon means 12:00 in the middle of the day.
Not this:Please send the form before
midnight. What changes: Midnight means 12:00 at night, at the start of a new day.
Read the full guide
First, decide whether the phrase looks back to an hour or forward to one. Past looks back: ten past six is 6:10. To looks forward: ten to seven is 6:50. When you hear a time, repeat the hour and minutes to yourself before you answer.
Start with exact hours
Use o'clock when the minute hand is at twelve. It names an exact hour: one o'clock, five o'clock, or eleven o'clock. In a relaxed conversation, a speaker may say five, but o'clock makes the time clear.
The class begins at seven o'clock.
Seven o'clock is 7:00. At 7:20, say seven twenty or twenty past seven.
Do not add o'clock after minutes. Say eight thirty, not eight o'clock thirty.
A meeting begins at 3:00. Complete the sentence: The meeting begins at three ___.
The meeting begins at three o'clock. There are no minutes after three.
Count minutes after the hour with past
Use past for minutes after an hour. Say the number of minutes first, then past, then the hour. Five past two is 2:05. Twenty past two is 2:20. The hour after past has already started.
| Clock time | Spoken form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 9:05 | five past nine | Five minutes after nine. |
| 9:10 | ten past nine | Ten minutes after nine. |
| 9:20 | twenty past nine | Twenty minutes after nine. |
| 9:25 | twenty-five past nine | Twenty-five minutes after nine. |
Maya's bus arrives at ten past eight.
Ten past eight is 8:10 because the minutes follow eight.
Choose the clock time for twenty past six: 6:20 or 5:40?
Twenty past six is 6:20. Count forward from six.
Look ahead to the next hour with to
Use to when the next hour is coming soon. At 8:50, ten minutes remain before nine, so say ten to nine. The hour after to is the hour you are moving toward.
| Clock time | Spoken form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 7:55 | five to eight | Five minutes before eight. |
| 7:50 | ten to eight | Ten minutes before eight. |
| 7:40 | twenty to eight | Twenty minutes before eight. |
| 7:35 | twenty-five to eight | Twenty-five minutes before eight. |
The shop closes at ten to six.
Ten to six is 5:50. It is before six, not after it.
Do not read quarter to five as 5:15. It means 4:45.
Your friend arrives at 7:45. Which phrase fits: quarter past seven or quarter to eight?
Say quarter to eight. Fifteen minutes remain before eight.
Use quarter and half for common times
A quarter of an hour is 15 minutes. Half an hour is 30 minutes. Use quarter past for 15 minutes after an hour, half past for 30 minutes after it, and quarter to for 15 minutes before the next hour.
| Clock time | Clock phrase | Digital form |
|---|---|---|
| 4:15 | quarter past four | four fifteen |
| 4:30 | half past four | four thirty |
| 4:45 | quarter to five | four forty-five |
We can meet at half past one.
Half past one and one thirty name the same time, 1:30.
Write the digital time for quarter past eleven.
Quarter past eleven is 11:15. Quarter means 15 minutes.
Say digital times directly
Digital times are common on phones, tickets, calendars, and station boards. Say the hour, then the minutes: six twenty, eight forty-five, or ten fifty. For a single minute from 01 to 09, many speakers say oh, as in six oh seven.
The train leaves at six oh seven in the morning.
Six oh seven is 6:07. At 6:17, say six seventeen.
The manager is free at eight forty-five.
Eight forty-five has the same time as quarter to nine.
Say 9:03 in a digital style.
Say nine oh three. Oh represents the zero before three.
Make plans clear
Ask What time does it start? when you need a time. If you are unsure, repeat the information: Did you say quarter to three? In messages and schedules, add a.m., p.m., morning, afternoon, or evening when the listener could choose the wrong half of the day.
Could we meet at 6:30 in the evening?
Six thirty could be morning or evening. In the evening makes the plan clear.
Please send the form by twelve noon.
Noon means 12:00 in the middle of the day. Midnight names 12:00 at night.
You hear ten to four but want to check. What can you ask?
Ask, Did you say ten to four? Repeating the phrase can prevent a mistake about the hour.
Before you go
Remember this
Use o'clock for an exact hour. Use past after an hour and to before the next hour. Quarter is 15 minutes, and half past is 30 minutes. Digital forms such as six oh seven are common too. Check which hour the phrase points to before you make a plan.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Telling the time in English: past, to, and digital times"
How do I say 7:15 in English?
You can say quarter past seven or seven fifteen. Quarter past seven is 15 minutes after seven, while seven fifteen is the direct digital form. Both are common in everyday conversation, so use the form that helps your listener understand the plan.
The class begins at seven o'clock.
What is the difference between past and to when telling the time?
Past counts minutes after the hour that has started. For example, ten past eight is 8:10. To counts minutes before the next hour. Ten to nine is 8:50. Check whether the phrase looks back to an hour or forward to the next one.
The class begins at seven twenty.
Does half past four mean 4:30 or 5:30?
Half past four means 4:30. Half means 30 minutes, and past points back to four. The named hour has already started. Half past five would mean 5:30, so keep the named hour when you work out the time.
Maya's bus arrives at ten past eight.
When do I use o'clock?
Use o'clock for an exact hour with no minutes, such as six o'clock. Do not add it after a minute number. For 6:20, say six twenty or twenty past six. O'clock makes the meaning of 6:00 clear when the time is spoken alone.
Maya's bus leaves at ten to nine.
What should I say if I did not hear a time clearly?
Ask the speaker to repeat the time, then repeat the key phrase back in your own question. You can ask, Did you say ten to four? This gives the speaker a chance to correct the time before you arrange travel, a meeting, or an appointment.
We can meet at half past one.