Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| وقت | wa't | |
| ساعة | sa'a | the clock, what time it is |
وقت refers to time in general, such as having free time. To ask what time it is, Egyptians use ساعة, literally 'hour' or 'clock', as in الساعة كام؟, 'what time is it'.
What does it mean word for word?
وقت keeps close to the Standard Arabic word, while ساعة doubles as both 'hour' and 'clock, watch'.
Which one should you use?
Use وقت for duration or general time, 'I don't have time'. Use ساعة specifically when asking or telling the clock time.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both words are used in all registers without change.
Is it said differently in some regions?
These words are standard across Egypt.
How does it change in a sentence?
وقت is masculine, ساعة is feminine, which matters for any adjective that follows them.
How do you pronounce it?
The ق in وقت is a glottal stop in Cairo speech, so it sounds like 'wa't' rather than 'waqt'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Asking كام الوقت؟ instead of الساعة كام؟ is understandable but not how Egyptians naturally ask for the time.
Did you know?
- ساعة meaning both 'hour' and 'clock' mirrors the same double meaning found in many Arabic dialects, not only Egyptian.
Examples in context
- معاك وقت دلوقتي؟ma'ak wa't dilwa'ti?Do you have time right now?
- الساعة كام عندك؟el-sa'a kam andak?What time do you have?
- مفيش وقت نضيعه.mafeesh wa't nedayyao.There's no time to waste.
Example conversation
Marwan asks his friend Dina about the time before a train departs.
- Marwanالساعة كام دلوقتي؟el-sa'a kam dilwa'ti?What time is it right now?
- Dinaالساعة خمسة وربع.el-sa'a khamsa w rob'.It's a quarter past five.
- Marwanيا نهار أسود، القطر يتحرك الساعة خمسة ونص.ya nahar iswid, el-at'r yetharrak el-sa'a khamsa w noss.Oh no, the train leaves at half past five.
- Dinaلسه في وقت، يلا بسرعة.lissa fi wa't, yalla bisur'a.There's still time, let's hurry.
