telling the time

To ask the time, say What time is it? or What's the time? The answer starts with it's.

O'clock

O'clock is only for the full hour: one o'clock, seven o'clock.

Past and to

Up to 30 minutes after the hour, say the minutes past the hour. After that, say the minutes to the next hour. Quarter is 15 minutes and half is 30.

• 6:05 – five past six
• 6:15 – quarter past six
• 6:30 – half past six
• 6:45 – quarter to seven
• 6:50 – ten to seven

With numbers that aren't 5, 10, 20 or 25, add minutes: twelve minutes past six.

In British speech, half six means half past six.

Hour and minutes

You can also say the hour, then the minutes: 6:15 is six fifteen, 6:45 is six forty-five. For 7:05, say seven oh five.

Am, pm and the 24-hour clock

Am is from midnight to midday, and pm is from midday to midnight. Don't use them with o'clock.

Timetables and tickets often use the 24-hour clock: 18:30. In conversation, most people say six thirty or half past six in the evening.

Common mistakes

• × It's six and half. → It's half past six.
• × It's half past six o'clock. → It's half past six.
• × What hour is it? → What time is it?
• × at 7 o'clock pm → at 7 pm or at seven in the evening
• × It's 6 hours. → It's six o'clock.