Lesson 24 · السَّاعَةُ
Days and time: today, tomorrow, what time is it?
Ask the time with كَمِ السَّاعَةُ؟ (kami s-saaʿatu?, What time is it?). The answer uses “the hour” and an order word: السَّاعَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ (as-saaʿatu th-thaalithatu) means “three o’clock”, literally “the third hour”.
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Examples
كَمِ السَّاعَةُ؟kami s-saaʿatu?What time is it?
السَّاعَةُ الثَّالِثَةُas-saaʿatu th-thaalithatuIt’s three o’clock.
السَّاعَةُ الْخَامِسَةُ وَالنِّصْفُas-saaʿatu l-khaamisatu wan-niṣfuIt’s half past five.
السَّاعَةُ الْعَاشِرَةُ وَالرُّبْعُas-saaʿatu l-ʿaashiratu war-rubʿuIt’s quarter past ten.
السَّاعَةُ الثَّامِنَةُ إِلَّا رُبْعًاas-saaʿatu th-thaaminatu illaa rubʿanIt’s quarter to eight.
يَبْدَأُ الدَّوَامُ فِي السَّاعَةِ السَّابِعَةِyabda’u d-dawaamu fis-saaʿati s-saabiʿatiWork starts at seven o’clock.
زُرْتُهُ أَمْسِzurtuhuu amsiI visited him yesterday.
سَأُسَافِرُ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِsa-usaafiru yawma l-khamiisiI will travel on Thursday.
Key points
- Hours: الْوَاحِدَةُ 1 · الثَّانِيَةُ 2 · الثَّالِثَةُ 3 · الرَّابِعَةُ 4 · الْخَامِسَةُ 5 · السَّادِسَةُ 6 · السَّابِعَةُ 7 · الثَّامِنَةُ 8 · التَّاسِعَةُ 9 · الْعَاشِرَةُ 10
- Add وَالنِّصْفُ (and a half) or وَالرُّبْعُ (and a quarter): السَّاعَةُ الْخَامِسَةُ وَالنِّصْفُ (half past five). إِلَّا رُبْعًا means “quarter to”.
- الْيَوْمَ today · أَمْسِ yesterday · غَدًا tomorrow · صَبَاحًا in the morning · مَسَاءً in the evening. The days of the week are in the vocabulary section.
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Say “It’s four o’clock.”
السَّاعَةُ الرَّابِعَةُ as-saaʿatu r-raabiʿatu
Say “It’s half past nine.”
السَّاعَةُ التَّاسِعَةُ وَالنِّصْفُ as-saaʿatu t-taasiʿatu wan-niṣfu
Say “I went to the market yesterday.”
ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ أَمْسِ dhahabtu ila s-suuqi amsi