How to Ask for and Tell the Time

  One of the most practical topics of conversation in any language is how to ask time and tell the time.
  Let's dive into mastering this in English.

How to Ask for the Time in English

  There are several ways to ask for the time in English. The most common is:
  "What time is it?"

  Another frequently heard one is:
  "Do you have the time?"

  For completeness, let's consider a couple of more ways:
  "Could you tell me the time, please?"
  "May I ask what time it is?"
  "What's the time?"

How to Tell the Time in English

Now that we know how to ask for the time, let's learn how to express it.

It is twelve o'clock.

12:00
When it's exactly on the hour, we say "o'clock" after the hour.

It is ten past twelve.
It is twelve ten.

12:10
Between the minutes 1-30, first we mention the minutes followed by "past" and then the hour.
Alternatively, we can just state the hour followed by the minutes.

It is quarter past twelve.
It is twelve fifteen.

12:15
When it's fifteen minutes past, we often use the term "quarter".

It is half past twelve.
It is twelve thirty.

12:30
When it's thirty minutes past, we simply say "half".

It is quarter to one.
It is twelve forty-five.

12:45
For the minutes between 31-60, we mention the minute difference from the current hour to the next hour followed by "to" and then the next hour.
When it is fifteen minutes before the next hour, we again use the "quarter".

It is ten to one.
It is twelve fifty.

12:50
We state the minute difference followed by the next hour.

What is the Diffrence Between "noon" and "midnight"

Congratulations, you've made it to the end.
One small but important tip for clearing up confusion about two time related words.

  12:00 = noon
  It is noon.

  00:00 = midnight
  It is minight.