Learn Hardcore Turkish: Pardon, saat kaç? - Excuse me, what time is it?

Pardon is an interjection meaning something like Excuse me or Sorry. In this sentence, it is used to politely get someone’s attention before asking the time.

So:

Pardon, saat kaç? = Excuse me, what time is it?

It is common in everyday speech, especially in quick interactions with strangers.

Why is there no word for is it in saat kaç?

Turkish often leaves out the verb to be in simple present-tense sentences and questions.

So while English says:

What time is it?

Turkish simply says:

Saat kaç?
literally: Hour/time how many?

The idea of is it is understood automatically, so Turkish does not need to say it here.

Why does Turkish use kaç instead of ne here?

Kaç is used for asking about a number or quantity: how many / what number.

Since clock time is expressed with numbers, Turkish asks:

Saat kaç? = What number is the hour? → What time is it?

By contrast, ne means what in a more general sense, not specifically a number.

So:

ne = what
kaç = how many / what number

That is why kaç is the natural choice here.