che ore sono?
To ask "what time is it?" in Italian, you say che ore sono?
This phrase is used to inquire about the current time of day. In the context of telling time, the word ora means "hour," and Italians use the word quarto or quarti to express quarters of an hour.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "what hours are they?" because Italian treats time as a plural concept of "hours."
Which one should you use?
The plural form che ore sono? is more common in standard Italian than the singular form che ora è?, which also means "what time is it?"
How does it change in a sentence?
While che ore sono? is the most common way to ask, you can also use the singular form che ora è? to mean the same thing.
When do people say it?
When answering the question che ore sono?, you typically start your response with Sono le… followed by the number of the hour, such as Sono le due (It is two).
Did you know?
- To say it is one o'clock, Italians use the singular è l'una instead of the plural sono le… used for all other hours.
- The word ora can also mean 'now' in Italian, meaning the same word is used for both a unit of time and the present moment.
- In Italy, it is common to use the 24-hour clock for official timetables and formal appointments, even though people often speak in 12-hour terms.
Examples in context
- Scusi, che ora è?Excuse me, what time is it?
- Mi scusi, potrebbe dirmi l'ora?Excuse me, could you tell me the time?
- Che ore sono, amico mio?What time is it, my friend?
- Sai che ore sono?Do you know what time it is?
- Per favore, che ore sono?Please, what time is it?
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are waiting for a train at the station.
- LorenzoMartina, che ore sono?Martina, what time is it?
- MartinaSono le tre e mezza.It is half past three.
- LorenzoIl treno è in ritardo!The train is late!
- MartinaSperiamo arrivi presto.Let's hope it arrives soon.
