Learn Finnish: Elokuva loppuu puoli yksitoista yöllä. - The movie ends at half past ten at night.

In Finnish, half-hours look forward to the next hour. So puoli yksitoista literally translates to "halfway to eleven," which is 10:30. You will always use the next hour's number when saying "half past".

Where is the word for "at" in "at half past ten"?

When telling time using words like puoli (half) or varttia vaille/yli (quarter to/past), you don't need a separate word or ending for "at". The phrase puoli yksitoista acts as both "half past ten" and "at half past ten" depending on the context.

Why do we need to add yöllä (at night) at the end?

While Finnish uses a 24-hour clock for schedules (like train times), everyday spoken Finnish usually uses a 12-hour clock. Since Finnish doesn't have AM or PM, adding a time of day like yöllä (at night) or aamulla (in the morning) clarifies which 10:30 you mean.

What is the -llä ending on the word yöllä?

The basic word for night is yö. The -llä ending is the Finnish equivalent of saying "at" or "on". It is commonly used with times of day to express when something happens, so yöllä means "at night". You might also recognize it from aamulla (in the morning) or illalla (in the evening).