Telling the Time

To say the time in English, follow this format:

• For times on the hour:

"It's [hour] o'clock." (e.g., It's 3 o'clock.)

• For times between the hour and half past:

"[Hour] [minutes]." (e.g., 3:15 is "Three fifteen.")

• For times at half past the hour:

"Half past [hour]." (e.g., 3:30 is "Half past three.")

• For times between half past and the next hour:

"[Minutes] past [hour]." (e.g., 3:45 is "Fifteen minutes past three.")

• For times close to the next hour:

"Quarter past [hour]" (e.g., 3:15 is "Quarter past three.")

"Twenty past [hour]" (e.g., 3:20 is "Twenty past three.")

"Twenty-five past [hour]" (e.g., 3:25 is "Twenty-five past three.")

"Twenty to [next hour]" (e.g., 3:40 is "Twenty to four.")

"Fifteen to [next hour]" (e.g., 3:45 is "Fifteen to four.")

"Ten to [next hour]" (e.g., 3:50 is "Ten to four.")

"Five to [next hour]" (e.g., 3:55 is "Five to four.")

• To specify a.m. or p.m.:

"in the morning"
(for times between midnight and 11:59 a.m.)

"in the afternoon"
(for times between 12:00 p.m. and 5:59 p.m.)

"in the evening" 

(for times between 6:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.)

You can also use "at night" for late evening hours
(e.g., 9:30 at night).

For example, if it's 5:45 p.m., you would say, "It's quarter to six in the evening."