сколько времени?
skol'ko vremeni?
The English phrase "what time is it?" can be translated into Russian as сколько времени? (skol'ko vremeni?)
This phrase is used to ask for the current time of day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase сколько времени? literally translates to "how much time?"
Which one should you use?
While сколько времени? is a common way to ask for the time, you can also use Который час?, which translates to "Which hour?" For a friendlier or more informal tone, you can use the diminutive form Который часик?
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase сколько времени?, the word времени is the genitive singular form of время (time). It is used in this way because it follows the interrogative pronoun сколько (how much).
How do you pronounce it?
skol'ko vremeni?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid translating "what time" literally as что время? This is an incorrect way to ask the question in Russian.
Did you know?
- In Russian culture, asking a stranger Который час? is perfectly polite, but adding the diminutive часик to make it 'friendlier' can sound overly flirtatious or condescending if used with a stranger.
- The phrase сколько времени? can be used as a rhetorical complaint to suggest that someone is taking too long to do something.
- When answering Который час?, Russians often use the word половина to mean 'half past', effectively stating that the hour is 'half' gone.
Examples in context
- Извините, сколько времени?Izvinite, skol'ko vremeni?Excuse me, what time is it?
- Вы не знаете, сколько времени?Vy ne znayete, skol'ko vremeni?Do you know what time it is?
- Подскажите, пожалуйста, сколько времени?Podskazhite, pozhaluysta, skol'ko vremeni?Could you please tell me what time it is?
Example conversation
Maria and Sergey are waiting at a bus stop.
- Мария MariaСергей, сколько времени?Sergey, skolko vremeni?Sergey, what time is it?
- Сергей SergeyСейчас пять часов.Seychas pyat chasov.It is five o'clock now.
- Мария MariaОй, мы опаздываем!Oy, my opazdyvayem!Oh, we are late!
- Сергей SergeyДа, нужно быстрее идти.Da, nuzhno bystree idti.Yes, we need to walk faster.
