Breakdown of Сколько времени?
сколько времени
what time is it
Questions & Answers about Сколько времени?
Why is the word for time времени instead of its dictionary form время?
The word сколько means "how much" or "how many". In Russian, words that express a quantity force the noun that follows into the Genitive case. So, the phrase literally translates to "How much of time?"
I thought the Genitive singular endings were usually -а, -я, -ы, or -и. Why does время change to времени?
Время is a special irregular neuter noun ending in -мя. When these special nouns change case, they add an extra -ен- into the middle of the word. That is why the Genitive singular form becomes времени.
How does this fit with the current lesson about numbers 2, 3, and 4?
In this lesson, you are learning that the numbers 2, 3, and 4 require the Genitive singular of the noun. The question word сколько (how much) also acts like a quantity word. Since "time" is an uncountable concept here, it takes the Genitive singular, following a very similar logic to the numbers you are studying.
Are there other ways to ask "What time is it?" in Russian?
Yes! You will also frequently hear Который час?, which literally means "Which hour?". Both Сколько времени? and Который час? are correct, very common, and mean the exact same thing.
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