I can ask and say what time it is — Saat neçədir? Saat beşdir — at what time I come and leave (saat səkkizdə, altının yarısında), and understand times in figures (8:30 — doqquzun yarısı, səkkiz otuz).
Saat neçədir? What time it is and at what time
Saat neçədir? What time it is and at what time
What time is it? — “Saat neçədir?” The answer is the number + the third-person ending by harmony: “Saat beşdir” (see the table).
At what time? — “Saat neçədə?” The answer is the number with the locative ending from lesson 1: “saat beşdə”, altıda.
The half hour counts toward the NEXT hour — the opposite of English “half past”: the next hour with the genitive ending (after a vowel -nın, -nin) + yarısı: 5:30 is altının yarısı (“half of six”). Watch out: 8:30 is doqquzun yarısı. British “half six” is 6:30. “At two thirty” is üçün yarısında: a linking n, as in bunda.
On a timetable it's written “8:30”, and people also say “səkkiz otuz”, “on iyirmi” (10:20).
Parts of the day answer “when?” with no ending: səhər “in the morning”, günorta “at noon”, axşam “in the evening”, gecə “at night” — “axşam saat altıda”. Tez is “early”, gec “late”. İşdən sonra “after work” is a set phrase.
Common mistakes:
• × “səkkizin yarısı” for 8:30 — that's 7:30.
• × “Saat beşdir gəlirəm” → Saat beşdə gəlirəm.
• × “altı yarısı” → altının yarısı.
What time it is and at what time
The ending is chosen by the last vowel of the number, as always.
| The last vowel | Number | Saat neçədir? | Saat neçədə? |
|---|---|---|---|
| a, ı | altı (6) | altıdır | altıda |
| e, ə, i | beş (5) | beşdir | beşdə |
| o, u | on (10) | ondur | onda |
| ö, ü | dörd (4) | dörddür | dörddə |
Half hours: the next hour + yarısı
Not like English “half past”: take the NEXT hour.
| In figures | In words | In English |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 | altının yarısı | five thirty |
| 8:30 | doqquzun yarısı | eight thirty |
| 2:30 | üçün yarısı | two thirty |
| 10:30 | on birin yarısı | ten thirty |
Lesson notes
Saat neçədir? What time it is and at what time
What time is it? — “Saat neçədir?” The answer is the number + the third-person ending by harmony: “Saat beşdir” (see the table).
At what time? — “Saat neçədə?” The answer is the number with the locative ending from lesson 1: “saat beşdə”, altıda.
The half hour counts toward the NEXT hour — the opposite of English “half past”: the next hour with the genitive ending (after a vowel -nın, -nin) + yarısı: 5:30 is altının yarısı (“half of six”). Watch out: 8:30 is doqquzun yarısı. British “half six” is 6:30. “At two thirty” is üçün yarısında: a linking n, as in bunda.
On a timetable it's written “8:30”, and people also say “səkkiz otuz”, “on iyirmi” (10:20).
Parts of the day answer “when?” with no ending: səhər “in the morning”, günorta “at noon”, axşam “in the evening”, gecə “at night” — “axşam saat altıda”. Tez is “early”, gec “late”. İşdən sonra “after work” is a set phrase.
Common mistakes:
• × “səkkizin yarısı” for 8:30 — that's 7:30.
• × “Saat beşdir gəlirəm” → Saat beşdə gəlirəm.
• × “altı yarısı” → altının yarısı.