Learn Dutch: Is het half vijf? - Is it half past four?

In Dutch, half-hours look ahead to the next hour. Half vijf literally means "halfway to five" (4:30). This is very different from English, where "half" usually implies half past the hour. If you want to say "half past five" (5:30), you would say half zes.

Can I add the word uur and say half vijf uur?

No, you do not use the word uur (hour or o'clock) with half hours. You only use uur for whole hours, like vijf uur (five o'clock). For half hours, just say half vijf.

Why is the word order Is het instead of Het is?

To ask a yes/no question in Dutch, you swap the subject and the verb. The statement Het is half vijf (It is half past four) becomes the question Is het half vijf? (Is it half past four?), exactly like in English.

Do the Dutch always use het (it) when talking about the time?

Yes, just like in English, Dutch uses het (it) as a placeholder subject when talking about the time, the weather, or general conditions.