Italian Lesson: Time and Daily Routine

Telling Time

Formal vs Informal

Daily Routine

Practice Exercises

🕒Telling Time in Italian

In Italian, telling time follows specific patterns. The 24-hour clock is commonly used in formal contexts, while the 12-hour clock is used in everyday conversation.

Sono le otto e trenta

Basic Time Vocabulary

                Che ore sono? - What time is it?
Sono le... - It is... (used for most hours)
È l'una - It is one o'clock
e - and (used for minutes past the hour)
meno - to (used for minutes to the hour)
e un quarto - quarter past
e mezza - half past
meno un quarto - quarter to
di mattina - in the morning
di pomeriggio - in the afternoon
di sera - in the evening
di notte - at night

            

Time Examples

On the Hour

3:00 - Sono le tre

1:00 - È l'una

12:00 - Sono le dodici

Past the Hour

3:05 - Sono le tre e cinque

3:15 - Sono le tre e un quarto

3:30 - Sono le tre e mezza

To the Hour

2:45 - Sono le tre meno un quarto

2:50 - Sono le tre meno dieci

11:55 - Sono le dodici meno cinque

With Time of Day

8:00 AM - Sono le otto di mattina

3:00 PM - Sono le tre di pomeriggio

9:00 PM - Sono le nove di sera

11:00 PM - Sono le undici di notte

Important: In Italian, we use "Sono le" for all hours except 1:00 (È l'una). Also note that "mezzogiorno" means noon and "mezzanotte" means midnight.

Exercise 1: Telling Time

Write how you would say these times in Italian:

4:20 → _______________

1:45 → _______________

📋Formal vs Informal Time Expressions

Italian uses different time expressions in formal and informal contexts. The 24-hour clock is common in formal settings, while the 12-hour clock is used in everyday conversation.

Formal Time (24-hour clock)

Used in:

Official documents
Timetables (trains, buses, planes)
Business meetings
News broadcasts
Professional appointments

Examples:

14:30 - quattordici e trenta

09:15 - nove e quindici

20:45 - venti e quarantacinque

Informal Time (12-hour clock)

Used in:

Everyday conversations
Social arrangements
With friends and family
Casual situations

Examples:

14:30 - due e mezzo del pomeriggio

09:15 - nove e un quarto di mattina

20:45 - nove meno un quarto di sera

Asking and Telling Time in Different Contexts

Formal:

Scusi, che ore sono? - Excuse me, what time is it? (formal)
Mi sa dire che ore sono? - Can you tell me what time it is? (formal)
L'appuntamento è per le quindici e trenta. - The appointment is at 15:30.

Informal:

Che ore sono? - What time is it? (informal)
Hai l'ora? - Do you have the time? (informal)
Ci vediamo alle tre e mezzo. - Let's meet at half past three.

Cultural Note: Italians are often more flexible with time in social situations than in business contexts. Being 5-15 minutes late for a social gathering is generally acceptable (especially in Southern Italy), but punctuality is expected for business appointments.

Exercise 2: Formal vs Informal

Convert these formal times to informal expressions:

17:30 (formal) → _______________ (informal)

21:15 (formal) → _______________ (informal)

🏃Typical Italian Daily Routine

Italians have distinct daily rhythms influenced by culture, climate, and lifestyle. Here's a typical day for an Italian adult: