saat kaç

Telling the Time

Level 2

Use Saat kaç? to ask for the current time. To answer, use Saat [number].

How It Works

Asking for the time in Turkish is straightforward but requires attention to a few specific rules:

  • The Basic Question: Saat kaç? is the universal way to ask the time. In formal situations, you can say Saatiniz kaç? (What time do you have?).
  • Full Hours: Simply say Saat followed by the number. Use tam for exact hours: Saat tam üç (It is exactly three).
  • 'At' a Whole Hour: To say an event happens at a specific hour, add the locative case to the number: Saat üçte (At three o'clock).
  • Half Hours: Use buçuk for 'half past' (e.g., dört buçuk). 12:30 is usually on iki buçuk, and many people also say yarım for it.
  • Quarter Hours: Use çeyrek for 'quarter'. For quarter past, use çeyrek geçiyor; for quarter to, use çeyrek var.
  • Minutes Past: Use the accusative case on the hour + minutes + geçiyor. Example: Beşi on geçiyor (It is ten past five).
  • Minutes To: Use the dative case on the hour + minutes + var. Example: Beşe on var (It is ten to five).
  • Vowel Buffers: If the hour ends in a vowel (2, 6, 7), you must use the buffer consonant -y- before the case ending (e.g., ikiyi on geçiyor, altıya çeyrek var).
  • 'At' What Time: When describing when an event happens (saat kaçta), geçiyor becomes geçe and var becomes kala. Example: Beşi on geçe (At ten past five).
  • Consonant Changes: The number four (dört) undergoes consonant softening (dörde/dördü), but üç (three) is an exception and does not soften (üçe/üçü).

Examples (6)

  1. Saat kaç?

    What time is it?

    Word by Word: Hour how-many?

    The standard question for the current time.

  2. Saat yarım.

    It is half past twelve.

    Word by Word: Hour half.

    A shorter way to say 12:30 is 'yarım', instead of 'on iki buçuk'.

  3. Uçak saat on sekiz otuzda kalkıyor.

    The plane is taking off at 18:30.

    Word by Word: Plane hour ten eight thirty-at is-taking-off.

    In formal contexts like flight schedules, the 24-hour clock is used.

  4. Toplantı saat on beşte başlayacak.

    The meeting will start at 15:00.

    Word by Word: Meeting hour ten five-at will-start.

    Official announcements use the 24-hour format (15:00 instead of 3 PM).

  5. Saat yediyi çeyrek geçe buluşalım.

    Let's meet at a quarter past seven.

    Word by Word: Hour seven-(acc) quarter passing-at let-us-meet.

    When saying 'at' a time in casual speech, 'geçiyor' changes to 'geçe'.

  6. Saat dörde on kala geldim.

    I came at ten to four.

    Word by Word: Hour four-(dat) ten remaining-at I-came.

    When saying 'at' a time in casual speech, 'var' changes to 'kala'.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'Saat kaç?' with 'Saat kaçta?'

    Film saat kaç?
    Film saat kaçta?

    'Saat kaç?' asks what time it is NOW. To ask 'At what time' an event happens, you must use the locative suffix: saat kaçta.

  • Using 'yarım' after the hour for half past.

    Saat on iki yarım.
    Saat on iki buçuk.

    For half past, 'buçuk' goes after the hour: on iki buçuk. People also say just 'yarım' for 12:30, but 'on iki yarım' is not used.

  • Using 'geçiyor' or 'var' when describing the time an action occurs.

    Saat beşi on geçiyor geliyorum.
    Saat beşi on geçe geliyorum.

    When answering 'at what time' (Saat kaçta?), you must use 'geçe' instead of 'geçiyor' and 'kala' instead of 'var'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

saat kaçLevel 2Telling the Time

Learn This First

To tell the time in Turkish, you first need to be familiar with the number system. You also need to understand the question word 'kaç' used in the standard inquiry 'Saat kaç?' and how to form basic nominal sentences to state what the time is.

Words in This Pattern

saat kaçkaç