Exact digital time (часы, минуты)

The 24-Hour Clock

When reading television schedules, travel itineraries, or other official announcements, Russian uses the 24-hour clock.

To state the exact time in this formal digital format, simply read the number of the hour followed by the number of the minutes. Because Russia spans many time zones, national broadcasts often specify that they are using Moscow time (московское время).

Saying "At" a Specific Time

To state that an event starts at a specific time, use the preposition в followed directly by the hour and minute numbers.

The new TV series begins at 21:05, and then there will be commercials.
Новый сериал начинается в 21:05, а потом будет реклама.

Live Broadcasts and Television

When reading a media guide, you will frequently see vocabulary for television media, such as передача (program), трансляция (broadcast/transmission), and прямой эфир (live broadcast, literally "direct air").

The broadcast from the new studio on this channel will be at 16:40.
Трансляция из новой студии на этом канале будет в 16:40.

Asking for the Time or Channel

To ask at what time a program begins, use the phrase В какое время...? The answer will respond with В plus the exact digital time.

At what time does the TV series begin? At 20:40.
В какое время начинается сериал? В 20:40.

If you need to know which channel a program is on, use На каком канале...? Note that the noun канал (channel) takes the preposition на.

Talking About Your Schedule

You can also use this exact digital time format to talk about your own daily schedule and obligations, combining it with words like нужно (need) or должен (must).