Questions & Answers about Är klockan halv tio eller kvart i tio?
Why does halv tio mean 'half past nine' instead of 'half past ten'?
In Swedish, halv (half) always points to the upcoming hour, not the hour that just passed. You can think of halv tio as meaning 'halfway to ten' (9:30). This is a very common trap for English speakers!
What does kvart i literally mean?
Kvart means 'quarter', and i is used for 'to' (literally 'in') when telling time. So kvart i tio means 'a quarter to ten' (9:45).
Why do we start the question with Är klockan instead of just 'Is it'?
When talking about time in Swedish, you always refer to klockan (the clock). Instead of asking 'Is it...', you literally ask 'Is the clock...' (Är klockan...).
If kvart i is 'quarter to', how do I say 'quarter past'?
You use the word över (over/past). For example, 'a quarter past ten' would be kvart över tio.