a che ora
/a ˈke ˈo.ra/word by word
The English phrase "what time" is translated into Italian as a che ora.
a che ora is used to ask for the specific point in time when a scheduled event or action occurs.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "at what hour".
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between asking when an event occurs and asking for the current time. Use a che ora to ask when an event happens, but use che ore sono? or che ora è? if you want to ask for the current time.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /a ˈke ˈo.ra/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Italian has a homonym for ora that means 'breeze' or 'soft wind', which descends from the Latin aura.
- In Italy, when asking a che ora for a social gathering, the answer given is often a flexible window rather than a precise minute, a concept known as 'Italian time'.
- While English uses the word 'time' for both the current moment and a scheduled event, Italian uses ora for the specific hour and tempo for the general concept of time.
Examples in context
- A che ora va?At what time is she going?This sentence is useful for asking when someone is going using a che ora.Tatoeba #7947131 by Guybrush88, translation #7789281 by sharris123
- A che ora apre?What time does it open?This sentence is useful for asking about an opening time using a che ora.Tatoeba #1204366 by Guybrush88, translation #24558 by CK
- A che ora ceni?What time do you eat dinner?This sentence is useful for asking about the time of a meal using a che ora.Tatoeba #2336964 by Guybrush88, translation #1696819 by Amastan
- Sono le due.It is two o'clock.
- Sono le tre.It is three o'clock.
- Sono le quattro.It is four o'clock.
- Sono le 2: 15.It is fifteen past two.
- 509 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are planning their evening out.
- MatteoA che ora è la cena?What time is the dinner?
- ChiaraAlle otto, Matteo.At eight, Matteo.
- MatteoVa bene, allora ci vediamo dopo.Okay, then I will see you later.
- ChiaraA presto!See you soon!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (a, che, ora) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, che, ora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
