The Basics of Telling Time in Romanian
Romanian Numbers You Need to Know
To tell the time in Romanian, it is important to be familiar with numbers from one to sixty. Here are the numbers one to twelve, which are crucial for expressing hours:
- 1 – unu
- 2 – doi
- 3 – trei
- 4 – patru
- 5 – cinci
- 6 – șase
- 7 – șapte
- 8 – opt
- 9 – nouă
- 10 – zece
- 11 – unsprezece
- 12 – doisprezece
How to Ask for the Time
If you want to ask someone what time it is, you can use the following phrase:
- Cât e ceasul? – What time is it?
Expressing the Time in Romanian
Full Hours
To say the hour on the dot, use the structure: Este ora [number] (It is [number] o’clock).
- Este ora două. – It is two o’clock.
- Este ora șapte. – It is seven o’clock.
Minutes Past the Hour
To express minutes past the hour, use: Este ora [hour] și [minutes] (It is [hour] and [minutes]).
- Este ora trei și zece. – It is 3:10.
- Este ora cinci și douăzeci. – It is 5:20.
Half Past and Quarter Past/To
For “half past,” Romanians say și jumătate (and a half):
- Este ora patru și jumătate. – It is 4:30.
For “quarter past/to,” use și un sfert (and a quarter) or fără un sfert (without a quarter):
- Este ora două și un sfert. – It is 2:15.
- Este ora șase fără un sfert. – It is 5:45 (literally, six without a quarter).
Minutes to the Hour
To say it is a certain number of minutes to the next hour, use fără [minutes]:
- Este ora opt fără zece. – It is 7:50 (ten to eight).
Understanding 24-hour and 12-hour Clocks
Romanians often use the 24-hour clock, especially in formal contexts like transportation schedules or official documents. In casual conversation, the 12-hour clock is more common, but without “AM” or “PM.” The context usually clarifies whether it is morning or evening.
- Este ora paisprezece. – It is 14:00 (2:00 PM).
- Este ora două. – It is 2:00 (could be AM or PM, based on context).
Useful Time Expressions in Romanian
- dimineața – in the morning
- după-amiaza – in the afternoon
- seara – in the evening
- noaptea – at night
To specify the time of day, you can add these expressions:
- Ne vedem la ora opt dimineața. – We’ll meet at 8 in the morning.
- Întâlnirea este la ora șase seara. – The meeting is at 6 in the evening.
Common Questions and Answers About Time
- Cât e ceasul? – What time is it?
- Este ora trei și jumătate. – It is half past three.
- La ce oră începe filmul? – At what time does the movie start?
- Filmul începe la ora nouă. – The movie starts at nine o’clock.
Tips for Practicing Telling Time in Romanian
Practice is key to mastering how to tell the time. Here are some practical tips:
- Use flashcards with hours and minutes in Romanian.
- Ask and answer time-related questions with a language partner or on language learning platforms like Talkpal.
- Listen to Romanian radio or watch TV to get used to hearing time expressions in context.
Conclusion
Telling the time in Romanian is straightforward once you learn the basics of numbers and the typical structures. By practicing regularly and using real-life contexts, you’ll soon feel comfortable asking for and giving the time in Romanian. For more tips and interactive language practice, explore the resources available on Talkpal’s AI language learning blog and enhance your Romanian language journey!
