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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.

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### 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.

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### 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).

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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.

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Telling time (الساعة)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Expressing purpose (لـ)

Question	Answer
show	عرض'ard
exactly / completely	تماماtamâman
The show is at seven o'clock exactly.	العرض في الساعة السابعة تماما.al-'ardu fî s-sâ'ati s-sâbi'ati tamâman
theatre / stage (platform)	مسرحmasrah
half	نصفnisf
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
play	مسرحيةmasrahiyya
quarter	ربعrub'
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'
except	إلاillâ
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
to finish	انتهىintahâ
When did the play finish?	متى انتهت المسرحية؟matâ antahati al-masraheyyah?
third (fraction)	ثلثthuluth
It finished at twenty past ten.	انتهت في الساعة العاشرة والثلث.intahat fis-sâ'ati l-'âshirati wath-thuluth
audience / public (people in general)	جمهورjumhûr
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
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
The show finished at half past ten.	انتهى العرض في الساعة العاشرة والنصف.intahâ al-ardu fis-sâ'ati al-âshirati wannisf
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 new theatre is large and spacious.	المسرح الجديد كبير وواسع.al-masrahu al-jadeedu kabeerun wa wasiun
The old theatre is not open now.	ليس المسرح القديم مفتوحا الآن.laysa al-masrahu al-qadeemu maftoohan al-aan.
until	حتىhattâ
I work until five o'clock.	أعمل حتى الساعة الخامسة.a'malu hattâ as-sâ'ati al-khâmisati
I waited until half past three.	انتظرت حتى الساعة الثالثة والنصف.intazartu hattâ as-sâ'ati ath-thâlithati wa-n-nisf
what time is it?	كم الساعةkami s-sâ'atu
What time is it now?	كم الساعة الآن؟kami s-sâ'atu l-ân?
What time is it? It is three o'clock.	كم الساعة؟ الساعة الثالثة.kami s-sâ'atu? as-sâ'atu th-thâlithatu.
second (of time)	ثانيةthâniya
Wait a second!	انتظر ثانية!intazir thâniyatan!
There are sixty seconds in a minute.	في الدقيقة ستون ثانية.fi ad-daqiqati sittuna thaniyatan
noon	الظهرadh-dhuhr
The show ended at noon.	انتهى العرض عند الظهر.intahā al-ardu inda az-zuhr.
I go home at noon.	أذهب إلى البيت عند الظهر.adh-habu ilâ al-bayti 'inda azh-zhuhri
midnight	منتصف الليلmuntasafu l-layli
I go to sleep after midnight.	أنام بعد منتصف الليل.anâmu ba'da muntaṣafi l-layli
The play starts at midnight.	تبدأ المسرحية في منتصف الليل.tabda'u al-masrahiyyatu fi muntasafi al-layli

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