Table of contents
1. How to ask for the time in English?
2. Telling the time
3. Vocabulary and common English expressions about time
1. How to ask for the time in English?
There are many ways to ask for the time in English.
- What time is it?
- What's the time?
- Do you have the time?
You can use one of the following examples if you want to be formal. For example, when you talk with your boss.
- Could you tell me the time, please?
- Excuse me, do you have the time, please?
- Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is, please?
2. Telling the time
When people ask you what the time is, how would you respond? Let’s look at the various expressions we use to tell the different time of the day.
01:00
It's one o'clock.
01:05
It's five past one.
01:10
It's ten past one.
01:15
It's quarter past one.
01:20
It's twenty past one.
01:25
It's twenty-five past one.
01:30
It's half past one.
01:35
It's twenty-five to two.
01:40
It's twenty to two.
01:45
It's quarter to two.
01:50
It's ten to two.
01:55
It's five to two.
Another way to say o'clock is sharp. So, instead of saying it's one o'clock, we could also say it's one sharp. Some English-speaking countries use the 12-hour system and divide the 24 hours of the day into a.m. and p.m. We use the a.m. convention for the first 12-hour period, which runs from midnight (00:00) to noon (12:00). For the second 12-hour period, we use the p.m. notation, which starts from noon to midnight. Rather than using the a.m. and p.m. system, we could also use the expressions in the morning, at noon or at midday, in the afternoon, in the evening, or at night.
- I need to leave the party before midnight.
- The nearby supermarket closes at noon but reopens at 2 p.m.
- My train arrives at three in the afternoon.
- The last train leaves Granada at ten in the evening.
In English, there are various expressions to indicate the time of the day without using numerals:
at dawn dawn is the period just before sunrise (see below). He left at dawn to catch a train.
at sunrise sunrise begins when the sun starts to be visible on the horizon. I am going for a walk at sunrise tomorrow.
at sunset sunset describes the time when the sun descends below the horizon in the evening. In Islam, the day begins at sunset.
at dusk dusk is the period just after sunset, i.e., when the sun is no longer visible on the horizon. The soldiers plan to leave at dusk and travel by night, hoping to surprise the enemy.
from dusk till dawn or from dusk to dawn the whole night, from early evening until early morning. As a night shift worker, I work from dusk till dawn.
from dawn to dusk throughout the day, from early morning until early evening. I worked today from dawn to dusk.
at the break of dawn or at the crack of dawn very early in the morning, at the first appearance of the sun. He went to bed early and woke up at the crack of dawn.
Under the 24-hour time format, we do not use the a.m. and p.m. notations.
10:00
It's ten hundred.
10:05
It's ten oh five.
10:45
It's ten forty-five.
20:05
It's twenty oh five.
06:20
It's oh six twenty.
07:00
It's oh seven hundred.
3. Vocabulary and common English expressions about time
on time indicates punctuality. If you have an appointment at 10:00 a.m. and you arrive at 10:00 a.m., you are on time.
late late is the opposite of on time. If your appointment is at 10:00 a.m., but you arrive at 10:30 a.m., you are thirty minutes late. Hurry up or you will be late for school.
ahead of time in advance, earlier than planned. I arrived at the airport ahead of time, so I had to wait for two hours before departure.
in time soon enough or early enough to do something. There was a grass fire in Newcastle, but fortunately, the firefighters arrived in time to prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby houses. I was caught up in traffic, but I arrived in time to catch my train.
just in time or just in the nick of time at the time just before it is too late, at the last possible minutes or seconds. The police came just in same to prevent the kidnappers from opening fire.
in your own time (British English) or on your own time (American English) in your own time have two meanings. The first one refers to doing something at a time specified by you and at your own pace. You set the deadline yourself. This website is the perfect choice if you want to learn English in your own time. Sometimes it is used sarcastically to tell someone that they have taken too much time to do something and should hurry up. The second meaning indicates time outside of paid working hours. Our company prohibits the use of social media during working hours. Of course, staff members can use it in their own time.
make time to find the time to do something. I know you are busy, but it is important to make time for your kids.
time off to take a break from your work or study. You look tired. You need to take some time off.
time after time indicates repetition. You never listen to me. I've told you time after time not to use my cell phone without my permission.
to do time (informal) to spend time in prison. Why is he doing time in the county jail? Did he kill somebody?
one thing at a time to do things one after the other. We have many problems to deal with but let's do one thing at a time.
an all-time high/ an all-time low the highest/lowest level ever. The war in Ukraine brought the price of sunflower oil to an all-time high of 5 € per litre. US imports from Eastern European countries reached an all-time low in 1953.
in good time at the right time, in a reasonable time. Please ensure that you apply for a visa in good time if you plan to transit to the UK.
take your time no rush, used to tell someone that they do not need to hurry to finish something. Take your time; there's no need to rush.
time is money time is money means that time is valuable, and thus we should not waste it on something unimportant. Time is money. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
time will tell the future will reveal the result of the present situation. Time will tell whether you are right or wrong. Time will tell whether this project will be successful or not.
to kill time to make time pass more quickly by doing something. I was so nervous waiting for my exam results, so I cleaned all the windows to kill time.
time bomb a changing situation that will worsen in the future if no appropriate action is taken to stop it. Climate change is a time bomb. We need to take action now, or it will be too late.
all the time in the world used to say that we have got plenty of time. There's no need to rush. We've got all the time in the world.
(and) about time too to say that something should have occurred sooner. Marry and Kane told me that they were getting married. It's about time, too, I think.
in the wrong place at the wrong time used to describe a victim of an unfortunate event because of bad luck. Two people were hit by stray bullets last week. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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