tempus
[ˈtɛm.pʊs]
The English word 'time' is translated into Latin as tempus.
tempus refers to time in a broad sense, such as a period or a specific moment or as a measurement of a quantity of time. If you wish to be more specific, Latin uses other words for different aspects of time: hora is used for an hour (such as hora prima for the first hour or hora sexta for the sixth hour), dies for a day, aetas for the passing of time or a person's age and momentum for a short moment or an instant.
Meaning: measurement of a quantity of time (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
tempus is a noun that changes its form depending on its role in a sentence. The nominative plural form is tempora, meaning 'times'. The genitive singular is temporis, meaning 'of time' and the genitive plural is temporum, meaning 'of times'. For the accusative plural, use tempora. The ablative singular is tempore, meaning 'at/in time', while the ablative plural is temporibus, meaning 'in/at times'.
Did you know?
- While tempus is the general word for time, the Romans used hora specifically to mark the hours of the day, which were not always fixed lengths like modern hours.
- While tempus is the standard word, the Latin concept of a 'vital or fatal moment' was sometimes influenced by the Greek word kairos, which describes a specific opportune moment rather than just duration.
Examples in context
- Tempus est domum ire.It's time to go home.This sentence uses tempus to indicate it is time for a specific action.Tatoeba #1363349 by alexmarcelo, translation #697418 by Eldad
- Cras tempus habeo mane.I have time tomorrow morning.This sentence uses tempus to describe having time in the future.Tatoeba #11726713 by carlosalberto, translation #510850 by wma
- Ita est, tempus est ire.Yes, it's time to go.This sentence uses tempus to state that it is time to go.Tatoeba #1363351 by alexmarcelo, translation #838731 by Scott
- 130 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucia and Gaius are discussing their schedule for the day.
- LuciaHabesne tempus hodie?Do you have time today?
- GaiusIta, sed tempus breve est.Yes, but the time is short.
- LuciaTempus cenandi adest.The time for dinner is here.
- GaiusOptime, ibimus nunc.Great, we will go now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “time” translations and entries tempus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tempus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
