Koliko je sati?

What time is it?

Breakdown of Koliko je sati?

• biti: to be
• sat: hour
• koliko: how many

Questions & Answers about Koliko je sati?

What does each word in Koliko je sati? literally mean?

• Koliko = how much/how many
• je = is (3rd person singular of biti “to be”)
• sati = hours (genitive plural of sat “hour” — here it’s “of hours”)

Literal sense: “How many hours is it?” Functionally: “What time is it?”

Why is it singular je and not plural su, since sati is plural?

In this idiomatic “time-of-day” question, Croatian uses an impersonal structure with singular je. You’ll see the same with other “how many” questions: Koliko je ljudi? (“How many people are there?”) — still je. So Koliko je sati? is fixed and natural.

Which case is sati here?

Genitive plural. After koliko in quantity questions, the counted noun appears in the genitive (plural when you’re asking/open-ended). With sat, the nominative plural and genitive plural are both sati, so the form looks the same. With a noun where the forms differ you can see it clearly: Koliko je dana? (“How many days are there?”) — genitive plural dana.

Can I say Koliko sati je?

Avoid it. Standard Croatian uses Koliko je sati? Word order with koliko je + GEN is the natural pattern.

How do you pronounce Koliko je sati?

Roughly: koh-LEE-koh yeh SAH-tee?

• koliko: stress on LEE
• je: “yeh”
• sati: SAH-tee
  Use a rising intonation for the question.

Is this polite enough? How do I add “please”?

It’s neutral and fine. To be extra polite:

• Koliko je sati, molim?
• Molim vas, koliko je sati?
• Oprostite, možete li mi reći koliko je sati?

Use molim te with friends, molim vas with strangers.

Are there regional variants I might hear?

Yes:

• Along the Adriatic (Dalmatia): Koliko je ura? (regional word ura “hour”)
• Serbia/Bosnia/Montenegro (colloquial/Serbian standard): Koliko je časova?
  All are understood, but in Croatian standard the form is Koliko je sati?

How do people typically answer?

Common patterns:

• On the hour:
  • 1:00 — Jedan je (sat).
  • 2:00 — Dva je sata. (You’ll also hear Dva su sata; both occur, but singular je is very common in time-telling.)
  • 5:00 — Pet je sati.
• With minutes:
  • 2:05 — Dva i pet (minuta).
  • 2:15 — Dva i petnaest.
  • 2:30 — Pola tri. (literally “half of three,” i.e., half past two)
  • 2:45 — Petnaest do tri. (“fifteen to three”)
  • 7:20 — Sedam i dvadeset.
• 24‑hour style is fine: Trinaest i trideset.
• You can add Točno for “exactly”: Točno je tri.

Why do I see sat / sata / sati after numbers?

It’s number agreement:

• 1 → jedan sat
• 2–4 → dva/tri/četiri sata
• 5+ → pet (i više) sati So: Dva (je) sata, Pet (je) sati.

Can I omit parts like je or sati when answering?

Yes, in casual speech:

• On the hour: Tri. or Tri je.
• With minutes: Tri i deset.
  Adding (sat/sata/sati) is optional unless you need emphasis or formality.

Does Koliko je vremena? mean the same thing?

No. Koliko je vremena? means “How much time is there/left?” (a duration), not “What time is it?” For the clock time, use Koliko je sati?

Can I use vrijeme to ask about the weather?

Yes, but different structure: Kakvo je vrijeme? = “What’s the weather like?” Don’t confuse it with clock time. For time-of-day, stick to Koliko je sati?

Can I add sad/sada (“now”) to the question?

Yes, it’s optional:

• Koliko je sada sati?
• Koliko je sati sada?
  Both are understood; the first is a bit more common.

Is the clipped form Kol’ko je sati? okay?

You’ll hear Kol’ko in casual speech. In writing and in careful/standard speech, use Koliko.

What about Koliko ima sati?

It exists colloquially in some areas, but in standard Croatian the recommended form is Koliko je sati? Use je, not ima, in neutral/standard speech.

Does sat mean both “hour” and “watch/clock”?

Yes. Context decides:

• Koliko je sati? — “What time is it?” (hour/time)
• Imate li sat? — could mean “Do you have a watch?” (ambiguous). To ask for the time politely, prefer: Oprostite, koliko je sati?