How to Tell Time in Romanian: A Guide for English Speakers

Understanding the Basics of Telling Time in Romanian

Telling time in Romanian involves understanding how to express hours, minutes, and parts of the day. Romanian uses a 24-hour clock in formal contexts but the 12-hour clock is common in everyday conversation, similar to English.

Romanian Numbers for Time

Before telling time, it's important to know the numbers from 1 to 59 in Romanian, as they are used to express hours and minutes. For example, 'unu' means one, 'două' means two, and so on.

• 1 - unu
• 2 - două
• 3 - trei
• 4 - patru
• 5 - cinci
• 10 - zece
• 15 - cincisprezece
• 30 - treizeci
• 45 - patruzeci și cinci

Saying the Hour

To say the hour, Romanian uses the word ora (hour) followed by the number. For example, 'ora trei' means 'three o'clock'. In informal speech, just the number is often used.

Expressing Minutes

Minutes are expressed by stating the number of minutes after the hour. For example, 'ora trei și zece' means 'three ten' or 3:10. The word și means 'and'.

Using 'Quarter' and 'Half' Past the Hour

Romanian uses special expressions for quarter past, half past, and quarter to the hour. Un sfert means a quarter, and jumătate means half.

• Ora trei și un sfert - 3:15 (quarter past three)
• Ora patru și jumătate - 4:30 (half past four)
• Ora cinci fără un sfert - 4:45 (quarter to five)

Saying 'To' the Hour

To express minutes before the next hour, Romanian uses the word fără meaning 'without' or 'to'. For example, 'ora cinci fără zece' means 'ten to five' (4:50).

AM and PM in Romanian

In informal speech, Romanians often use dimineața (morning), după-amiaza (afternoon), seara (evening), and noaptea (night) to clarify the time of day instead of AM and PM.