Time In Arabic (Guide To Master All Arabic Times)

Knowing how to properly ask for and tell the time in Arabic is one of the most basic things you need to know.

Whether you are simply learning the language so you could use it on your upcoming travel to a Arabic-speaking country, or you’re planning to learn it all the way, telling the time in Arabic helps you avoid confusion in setting up meetings, appointments, or in keeping track of the time.

How To Say Time In Arabic

The Arabic word for time is pronounced waqt and written ﻭَﻗﺖ. Times in Arabic is pronounced ‘awqaat and written as ﺃَﻭﻗَﺎﺕ. For example leisure time is written as ﻭَﻗﺖُ ﺍَﻟﻔَﺮَﺍﻍِ and time to leave is written ﻭَﻗﺖُ ﺍَﻟﺬَّﻫَﺎﺏِ.

What Time Is It In Arabic?

To ask what time is it in Arabic, we should say كَم الساعَة؟ (kam al-sāʿah?) or كم الساعة الآن (kam assaa’ah al’aan?) which means What time is it now?

How To Ask Time In Arabic

To express the statement ‘what is the time’, one should say كَم الساعَة؟. In the reply, الساعَة is the first word while the number form will follow it.

There are different ways of saying, “What time did you go to the school or any other place, or what time are you going or will go”?

For example, if it is said, متى تذهب إلى المدرسة؟

The response will be اذهب الى المدرسة في الساعة العاشرة والنصف

Meaning: I am going or will go to the school at half  past ten.

Telling Time In Arabic

Telling the time in Arabic is very easy as Arabs use ordinal numbers with hours, except one o’clock, as follows:

12 o’clock in Arabic

12 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الثانية عشرة and pronounced assaa’ah athaaniyah ‘ashra.

1 o’clock in Arabic

1 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الواحدة and pronounced assaa’ah alwaahidah.

2 o’clock in Arabic

2 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الثانية and pronounced assaa’ah athaaniyah.

3 o’clock in Arabic

3 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الثالثة and pronounced assaa’ah athaalithah.

4 o’clock in Arabic

4 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الرابعة and pronounced assaa’ah arraabi’ah.

5 o’clock in Arabic

5 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الخامسة and pronounced assaa’ah alkhaamisah.

6 o’clock in Arabic

6 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة السادسة and pronounced assaa’ah assaadisah.

7 o’clock in Arabic

7 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة السابعة and pronounced assaa’ah assaabi’ah.

8 o’clock in Arabic

8 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الثامنة and pronounced assaa’ah athaaminah.

9 o’clock in Arabic

9 o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة التاسعة and pronounced assaa’ah attaasi’ah.

10 o’clock in Arabic

Ten o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة العاشرة and pronounced assaa’ah al’aashirah.

11 o’clock in Arabic

Eleven o’clock in Arabic is written as الساعة الحادية عشرة and pronounced assaa’ah alhaadiyah ‘ashra.

• Learn Present Tense In Arabic
• Present Tense In Arabic

The table below is the summary of how to tell time in Arabic.

Note: You should add صباحا (morning or AM) or مساءً (afternoon or PM) at the end of the expressions to indicate the exact time i.e AM or PM.

Time Expressions In Arabic

• o’clock  (بالضبط) أو تماماً
• Half Past  والنصف
• Quarter Past   وربع
• Quarter to  إلا ربعاً

To say ‘past’ in Arabic, we use ‘و‘ which comes after the hour, so half past two in Arabic would literally be ‘two o’clock and a half’ الساعة الثانية والنصف.

To say ’to’ in Arabic, we use ‘إلا which comes after the hour, so ‘quarter to three’ in Arabic would literally be ‘three o’clock less a quarter’ الساعة الثالثة إلا ربعاً

Examples

• It is precisely one o’clock ….. الساعة واحدة تماماً
• It is a quarter past one …. الساعة واحدة و ربع
• It is one forty five ….. الساعة واحدة و ثلاثة ارباع
• It’s quarter to two ….. الساعة اثنتان إلى ربعاً
• It is ten past one ….. الساعة واحدة وعشر دقائق

Vocabulary For Arabic Times

Here are the important things you need to know about telling times in Arabic.

Clock In Arabic

Clock in Arabic is pronounced as Saa’a and written as ساعة while clocks is pronounced as saa’aat and written ساعات. Note that the word ساعة also means watch, one hour, an a moment and wait for a little while.

This word has been used for Qiyāmah (day of resurrection) as well in the Qur’an.

Minute in Arabic

Minute in Arabic is pronounced Daqeeqah and written as دقيقة while minutes in Arabic language is pronounced as daqaa’iq and written دقائق.

Second In Arabic

The word ثانيه (pronounciation thaniyah) is used for second in Arabic while ثوان is used for seconds in Arabic.

Nighttime in Arabic

The Arabic word for nighttime is pronounced Waqt illayl and written as وقت الليل.

Daytime in Arabic

The Arabic word for daytime is written as النهار and the pronunciation is Annahaar.

Morning in Arabic

The Arabic word for morning is صباح and the pronunciation is sabaah.

Noon in Arabic

We use the phrase وقت الظهيرة for noon in Arabic and the pronunciation is Waqt adhaheera.

Afternoon in Arabic

The phrase use for afternoon in Arabic is written بعد الظهر and transliterated as Ba’d adhuhur .

Sunset in Arabic

The Arabic word for sunset is المغرب and the pronunciation is Al maghrib.

Sunrise in Arabic

The phrase for sunrise in Arabic is pronounced as Shurooq a’shams and written شروق الشمس.

Day in Arabic

The Arabic word for day is written يوم and pronounced as Yaum. Days in Arabic is written أيام and pronounced ayyam.

Night in Arabic

The word for night in Arabic is ليل and pronounced as Layl. The Arabic word for night is written as ليالى and the pronunciation is layaal.

Evening in Arabic

The Arabic word for evening is pronounced Masaa’ and written as مساء.

Half in Arabic

The Arabic word for half is written نصف and the pronunciation is Nisf.

Quarter in Arabic

We say Ruba’ for the word quarter in Arabic and the Arabic text is ربع.

AM In Arabic

The Arabic word for AM is written as صباحا and is transliterated as sabaahan.

PM In Arabic

PM in Arabic is pronounced as masaa’n and written as مساءً.

The table below summarized Arabic vocabulary for times.

Vocabulary And Time Expressions In Arabic