In Arabic, telling the time involves using the word الساعة (the hour or clock) followed by an ordinal number (like seventh, eighth, or ninth). Because الساعة is feminine, the ordinal number matching it must also be feminine, typically ending in a taa marbuta (ة).
To specify that a time is exactly on the hour, add the word تماما. To say that an event happens "at" a certain time, use the preposition في before the time phrase.
| The show is at seven o'clock exactly. | العرض في الساعة السابعة تماما.al-'ardu fî s-sâ'ati s-sâbi'ati tamâman |
| The audience attended the show at six o'clock exactly. | حضر الجمهور العرض في الساعة السادسة تماما.hadara al-jumhûru al-'arda fi as-sâ'ati as-sâdisati tamâman |
Minutes Past the Hour
Rather than reading out the exact number of minutes, Arabic typically tells time using fractions:
- النصف (the half) for 30 minutes
- الثلث (the third) for 20 minutes
- الربع (the quarter) for 15 minutes
To express that it is "past" the hour, simply use the connecting word و (and) before the fraction.
| The employees went to the new theatre at half past eight. | ذهب الموظفون إلى المسرح الجديد في الساعة الثامنة والنصف.dhahaba al-muwazzafûna ilâ al-masrahi al-jadîdi fî as-sâ'ati ath-thâminati wa an-nisfi |
| The play started at a quarter past nine. | بدأت المسرحية في الساعة التاسعة والربع.bada'ati al-masrahiyyatu fi as-sa'ati at-tasi'ati war-rub' |
| It finished at twenty past ten. | انتهت في الساعة العاشرة والثلث.intahat fis-sâ'ati l-'âshirati wath-thuluth |
Minutes To the Hour
To say that it is a certain number of minutes until the next hour (such as "a quarter to ten"), Arabic uses the word إلا (except or less).
| except | إلاillâ |
Notice that when a fraction immediately follows إلا, it must take the accusative case. For these fractions, this is marked in writing by adding an extra alif (ا) to the end of the word. For example, ربع becomes ربعا and ثلث becomes ثلثا.
| The play is at a quarter to ten. | المسرحية في الساعة العاشرة إلا ربعا.al-masrahiyyatu fî as-sâ'ah al-'âshirah illâ rub'an |
| Did the show start at a quarter to eight? | هل بدأ العرض في الساعة الثامنة إلا ربعا؟hal bada'a al-'ardu fis-sâ'ati ath-thâminati illâ rub'an? |
| The audience went at twenty to nine. | ذهب الجمهور في الساعة التاسعة إلا ثلثا.dhahaba al-jumhûru fî as-sâ'ati at-tâsi'ati illâ thuluthan |
