When telling time for the second half of the hour (from 31 to 59 minutes past), Russian speakers look ahead to the upcoming hour and subtract the remaining minutes using the preposition без (without).
To form this, start with без, followed by the remaining minutes in the Genitive case, and end with the upcoming hour in its standard Nominative form. Literally, 4:50 is expressed as "without ten, five" (без десяти пять).
Here are the most common minute markers in the Genitive case. Notice that 15 minutes is usually expressed with the noun четверть (quarter).
| Minutes Remaining | Genitive Form | Example Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | пяти | 1:55 = без пяти два |
| 10 | десяти | 4:50 = без десяти пять |
| 15 (quarter) | четверти | 8:45 = без четверти девять |
| 20 | двадцати | 6:40 = без двадцати семь |
| 25 | двадцати пяти | 3:35 = без двадцати пяти четыре |
Unlike other time expressions, when stating that an event happens at a certain time using без, you do not add the preposition в. The time phrase acts as both "it is [time]" and "at [time]".
Let's look at a few examples of tracking schedules using a табло (display board) to find out when посадка (boarding) starts so you do not have to нервничать (to be nervous).
| I see on the display board that boarding begins at a quarter to nine. | Я вижу на табло, что посадка начинается без четверти девять. |
| At ten to six, he was looking at the display board and starting to get nervous. | Без десяти шесть он смотрел на табло и начинал нервничать. |
In a Rush
When navigating rush hour, you will often encounter words like спешка (rush) and the verb успевать (to be in time / to make it on time).
| In this rush, I was not making it anywhere on time. | В этой спешке я никуда не успевал. |
You might also need to read an объявление (announcement) about a vehicle's отправление (departure).
| At five to two, they were reading the announcement about the flight's departure. | Без пяти два они читали объявление об отправлении рейса. |
Finally, when keeping a close eye on the clock, you might be watching an отсчёт (countdown) or listening for a гудок (horn) to tell you it is time to board.
| We will be starting the countdown at five to twelve, so as not to be nervous during boarding. | Мы будем начинать отсчёт без пяти двенадцать, чтобы не нервничать во время посадки. |
| At a quarter to two we hear the horn, but we are still making it to the train. | Без четверти два мы слышим гудок, но ещё успеваем на поезд. |