Russian · TORFL Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 16
Сколько времени?What time is it?
How to talk about time. We ask "Сколько сейчас времени?" and answer "… час/часа/часов" — with NO verb "to be": just "Три часа", not "Сейчас есть три часа". The main difficulty: the word "час" changes with the number: один ЧАС (1), два/три/четыре ЧАСА (2-4), пять–двадцать ЧАСОВ (5-20). English speakers often say "два час" instead of "два часа". Parts of the day: утра (a.m.), дня, вечера, ночи (after the number). New words: сейчас, час, минута, половина, утро, день, вечер, ночь, ровно, рано. Cyrillic corner: reading "час, вечер, ночь".
Dialogue
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два час? два часа?
- IvanМайк,сколькосейчасвремени?Mike, what time is it now?
- MikeСейчасдвачас.It's two o'clock. (slip: after 2-4 use "часа" — say "два часа")
- Ivan«Двачаса».Последвух,трёх,четырёх—«часа»."Два часа". After two, three, four — "часа".
- MikeА,сейчасдвачаса.Ужепоздно!Ah, it's two o'clock. It's late!
Dialogue
i
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Утро или вечер?— Morning or Evening?
- AnyaИван,сколькосейчасвремени?Ivan, what time is it now?
- IvanСейчаспятьчасоввечера.It's 5 in the evening.
- AnyaУтроиливечер?Morning or evening?
- IvanВечер.Сейчаспятьчасоввечера.Evening. It's 5 in the evening.
Vocabulary
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- сейчас
adverbnow
- час
nounhour, o'clock
- минута
nounminute
- половина
nounhalf
- утро
nounmorning
- день
nounday; afternoon
- вечер
nounevening
- ночь
nounnight
- ровно
adverbexactly, sharp
- рано
adverbearly
Grammar
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час, часа, часов (number + "час")
Explanation
We ask "Сколько сейчас времени?". We answer "number + час/часа/часов", with NO verb "быть": "Три часа", "Семь часов" (not "Сейчас есть три часа"). "час" agrees with the number: 1 — чАс, 2/3/4 — часА, 5-20 — часОВ. English speakers often say "два час" — the correct form is "два часА". Parts of the day are in the genitive after the number: семь часов УТРА (a.m.), два часа ДНЯ (afternoon), восемь часов ВЕЧЕРА (evening), час НОЧИ (night). "Ровно" = exactly: ровно три часа. Preposition "в" + time: урок в девять часов.
Examples
- Сколько сейчас времени? — Три часа.What time is it now? — Three o'clock.
- Сейчас два часа.It's two o'clock (часа after 2).
- Сейчас семь часов утра.It's 7 a.m. (часов after 7).
- Урок в девять часов.The class is at nine.
Cyrillic
i
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Читаем слова о времени— Reading the Time Words
The time words drill soft consonants and unstressed vowels. "Час" — "ч" sounds like "ch". "Вечер": the unstressed "е" → "i" (véchir), and "ч" is soft. "Ночь": the soft sign "ь" makes the final "ч" soft. Remember: unstressed "о" sounds like "a" (сейчас = "sichas"). Read the words below aloud, watching the stress.
Read the time words aloud:
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