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Telling the Time

To ask 'what is the time?' in Turkish, we must say 'saat kaç?'.

It is 2 o'clock - saat iki
It is 5 o'clock - saat beş
It is 11 o'clock - saat on bir

Past the hour -

To tell the time past the hour, the hour comes first followed by either -(y)i/ı/u/ü depending on vowel harmony. (The -(y) is only added if the last letter is a vowel). Then add the minutes, then 'geçiyor'.

To say 'quarter past...', simply put 'çeyrek' (quarter) where the minutes would go.

The formula for telling the time 'past the hour' therefore is;

saat + hour + -(y)i + minute + geçiyor

examples

saat + hour + -(y)i + minute + geçiyor
saat beş on geçiyor (10 past 5)
saat üçü yirmi beş geçiyor (25 past 3)
saat on ikiyi çeyrek geçiyor (quarter past 12)

To the hour

To tell the time to the hour, the hour comes first followed by either '-(y)e/a' depending on vowel harmony. (The -(y) is only added if the last letter is a vowel again). Then add the minutes, then 'var'.

Once again, to say 'quarter to', put 'çeyrek' (quarter) where the minutes would go.

The formula for telling to time 'to the hour' therefore is;

saat + -(y)e/a + minute + var

examples
saat + hour + -e/a + minute + var
saat yediye yirmi var (20 to 7)
saat on bire be var (5 to 11)
saat dokuza çeyrek var (quarter to 9)

Half past

To say 'half past....' add 'buçuk' after the hour.

examples
half past 4 - dört buçuk
half past 10 - on buçuk
half past 12 - yarım (simply meaning 'half', this is used for 'half past 12')

To say 'at' a certain time such as 'at half 8', the same formulas are used but with a different ending.

The formula for 'at...past...' is;

hour + -(y)i + minute +geçe

examples
altı on geçe = at 10 past 6
ikiyi çeyrek geçe = at quarter past 2

The formula for 'at....to...' is;

hour +-(y)a/e +minute + kala

examples
dokuza be kala = at 5 to 9
sekize çeyrek kala = at quarter to 8

at 8 o'clock = sekizde
at half 4 = dört buçukta

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