Telling time

Level 1

To state the time, use the phrase "Klockan är..." followed by the hour. For example, "Klockan är tre" means "It's three o'clock."

How It Works

Telling time in Swedish is straightforward once you learn a few key phrases. The main structure is Klockan är... (The clock is... / It is...).

Asking for the time:

  • Vad är klockan? - What time is it?
  • Hur mycket är klockan? - What time is it? (Literally: How much is the clock?)

Telling the time:

  • On the hour: Klockan är ett. (It's one o'clock.)
  • Minutes past (över): Klockan är fem över två. (It's five past two - 2:05)
  • Quarter past (kvart över): Klockan är kvart över två. (It's a quarter past two - 2:15)
  • Minutes to (i): Klockan är fem i tre. (It's five to three - 2:55)
  • Quarter to (kvart i): Klockan är kvart i tre. (It's a quarter to three - 2:45)

The "Halv" (Half) Rule:
This is a very important concept. In Swedish, halv refers to half an hour before the next hour.

  • Klockan är halv tre. (It's half past two - 2:30). Literally, "half to three".
  • Klockan är halv åtta. (It's half past seven - 7:30). Literally, "half to eight".

This is a common point of confusion for learners, so it's crucial to remember.

Before and After Half Past
Fem i halv tre is 2:25 and fem över halv tre is 2:35: the reference point is 2:30. The words halv tre can refer to the morning or afternoon; context or an addition such as på eftermiddagen makes the intended part of the day clear.

Examples (5)

  1. Vad är klockan?

    What time is it?

    Word by Word: What is the-clock?

  2. Klockan är tio.

    It's ten o'clock.

    Word by Word: The-clock is ten.

  3. Klockan är kvart över fyra.

    It's a quarter past four. (4:15)

    Word by Word: The-clock is quarter over four.

  4. Klockan är tjugo i sju.

    It's twenty to seven. (6:40)

    Word by Word: The-clock is twenty in seven.

  5. Klockan är halv nio.

    It's half past eight. (8:30)

    Word by Word: The-clock is half nine.

    Halv nio is 8:30: half an hour before nine. “Half to nine” is a memory aid; the Swedish words themselves are simply “half nine”.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'halv' (half to) with the English 'half past'.

    Klockan är halv åtta. (Thinking this means 8:30)
    Klockan är halv nio. (This means 8:30)

    In Swedish, in this half-hour expression, halv names the next hour. So 'halv åtta' (half to eight) is 7:30. To say 8:30, you must say 'halv nio' (half to nine).

How It Connects

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Telling timeLevel 1

Learn This First

To tell time in Swedish, you first need a solid grasp of cardinal numbers to state the hours and minutes. You also need to understand basic sentence structure to say 'The time is...', and familiarity with common prepositions like 'på' or 'i' is essential for specifying parts of the day or indicating minutes before/after the hour.

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Words in This Pattern

ihalv