How to Tell Time and Dates in Tamil for English Speakers

Understanding the Basics of Time in Tamil

Telling time in Tamil involves understanding numbers and specific words for hours, minutes, and parts of the day. Tamil uses a 12-hour clock system similar to English, but with unique expressions for morning, afternoon, evening, and night.

Numbers Used in Telling Time

Before telling time, it's important to know the Tamil numbers from 1 to 12, as these are used for hours. Here are the numbers 1 to 12 in Tamil:

Key Tamil Words for Time

Here are some important Tamil words related to time:

How to Say the Time in Tamil

To say the time in Tamil, you generally say the hour followed by the word for 'hour' (மணி) and then the minutes followed by 'minute' (நிமிடம்). For example, 3:15 is said as 'மூன்று மணி பதினைந்து நிமிடம்' (moondru maṇi pathinaindhu nimidam).

Examples of Telling Time

Here are some examples of telling time in Tamil:

Expressing AM and PM

Tamil uses words to indicate parts of the day instead of AM and PM. For example, morning (காலை) is used for AM times, and evening (மாலை) or night (இரவு) for PM times.

Telling Dates in Tamil

Dates in Tamil are expressed by stating the day, month, and year. Tamil has its own names for months, which are used in both spoken and written forms.

Tamil Months

Here are the Tamil names for the months of the year:

How to Say a Date in Tamil

To say a date, you say the day number followed by the word 'நாள்' (naal) meaning 'day', then the month name, and finally the year.

For example, 15th August 2024 would be said as 'பதினைந்து நாள் ஆவணி 2024' (pathinaindhu naal Aavani 2024).

Practice Examples for Telling Time and Dates in Tamil

Try saying these times and dates in Tamil to practice: