Learn Italian: È l'una meno un quarto.

È l'una meno un quarto.

It is a quarter to one.

Breakdown of È l'una meno un quarto.

Questions & Answers about È l'una meno un quarto.

Why do we start with È instead of Sono le?

Most hours in Italian are plural, so you normally use Sono le (literally "They are the..."). However, one o'clock is singular, so it uses the singular verb È (It is).

Why is "one" written as l'una and not uno?

When telling time, you are silently referring to the word ora (hour), which is feminine. Because "one" is singular, we use the feminine article la and the feminine form of one, una. They combine to make l'una.

How does meno work in this sentence?

Meno literally means "minus". While in English you say "a quarter to one", Italians say "one minus a quarter". You name the upcoming hour first (l'una), and then subtract the minutes.

Could I say quindici instead of un quarto?

Yes, you could say È l'una meno quindici (It is one minus fifteen), but using un quarto (a quarter) is much more natural and common in everyday conversation.