How do I tell the time in Pashto?

Understanding the Basics of Pashto Numbers

Before you can tell the time in Pashto, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with Pashto numbers, as they form the foundation for expressing hours and minutes. Here are the numbers 1 to 12, which are most commonly used when telling the time:

• 1 – یو (yo)
• 2 – دوه (dwa)
• 3 – درې (dre)
• 4 – څلور (tsalor)
• 5 – پنځه (pənza)
• 6 – شپږ (shpag)
• 7 – اووه (owa)
• 8 – اته (ata)
• 9 – نهه (naha)
• 10 – لس (las)
• 11 – یولس (yowlas)
• 12 – دولس (dolas)

Key Vocabulary for Telling Time in Pashto

• Time – وخت (wakht)
• Hour – ساعت (sa’at)
• Minute – دقیقه (daqeeqa)
• Second – ثانیه (sania)
• O’clock – بجې (baje)
• Morning – سهار (sahar)
• Afternoon – ماسپښین (maspakhin)
• Evening – ماښام (makham)
• Night – شپه (shpa)

How to Ask for the Time in Pashto

If you want to ask someone what time it is, you can say:

• What time is it? – اوس څو بجې دي؟ (os tso baje di?)

How to Tell the Time in Pashto

When responding, the structure is similar to English: It is [number] o’clock. In Pashto, you would say:

• It is 3 o’clock. – درې بجې دي (dre baje di)

If you want to be more specific and add minutes, use the structure: [Hour] and [Minutes].

• It is 4:15. – څلور بجې او پنځلس دقیقې دي (tsalor baje aw panzlas daqeeqe di)

Half Past and Quarter Past

• Half past 5. – پنځه نیمې بجې دي (panza nime baje di)
• Quarter past 7. – اووه بجې او پینځلس دقیقې دي (owa baje aw panzlas daqeeqe di)

To say “quarter to” the next hour, you can use:

• Quarter to 6. – شپږ بجې ته پینځلس دقیقې پاتې دي (shpag baje ta panzlas daqeeqe pate di)

AM and PM in Pashto

Pashto uses the same 12-hour clock system as English, so to specify the time of day, you add words for morning, afternoon, evening, or night:

• سهار (sahar) – Morning
• ماپښین (maspakhin) – Afternoon
• ماښام (makham) – Evening
• شپه (shpa) – Night

For example:

• It is 8 in the morning. – اته بجې سهار دي (ata baje sahar di)
• It is 7 in the evening. – اووه بجې ماښام دي (owa baje makham di)

Tips for Practicing Telling the Time in Pashto

• Practice with a clock: Point to different times and say them out loud in Pashto.
• Use digital resources: Language learning apps like Talkpal provide interactive exercises to reinforce your skills.
• Ask and answer questions with a language partner to become more comfortable.
• Listen to Pashto speakers telling the time in movies or audio recordings to improve your listening comprehension.

Conclusion

Mastering how to tell the time in Pashto is a practical and rewarding step in your language learning journey. With consistent practice and the resources provided by platforms like Talkpal, you’ll be able to confidently discuss time, make appointments, and engage more naturally with Pashto speakers. Keep practicing, and soon telling the time in Pashto will become second nature!