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[kittydesade]

Russians use the 24-hour clock for schedules and the 12-hour clock in conversation.
Сколько сейчас времени? What time is it now?
Сейчас 3 часа. It's 3 o'clock.
(три часа)

Приходите в 7 часов! Come over at 7 o'clock!
(в семь часов)

Сеанс начинается в 20 часов. The showing begins at 8 o'clock.
(в двадцать часов)

When the 24-hour clock is used, time expressions using minutes are stated as follows:
Поезд отходит в 18.10. The train leaves at 6.10 pm.
(в восемнадцать десять)
Музей открывается в 9.30. The museum opens at 9.30 am.
(в девять тридцать)


In conversational Russian, time expressions using minutes are more complex.

During the first half of an hour, state the number of minutes of the next hour
e.g. Ten minutes after six is said as ten minutes of the seventh (hour): десять минут седьмого (note the ordinal number adjective in genitive)

During the second half of the hour, state the hour minus the number of minutes.
e.g. Ten minutes before six is said as Without ten minutes six. без десяти шесть (note the cardinal number in genitive after без)

половина седьмого (полседьмого) lit. half of the seventh (hour) at 6.30
четверть седьмого lit. quarter of the seventh (hour) at 6.15
без четверти семь lit. seven without a quarter at 6.45

The literal translation of "one minute after one" is "one minute of the second (hour)". This structure is used for all times from one minute to twenty nine minutes past the hour, as in the following examples:

1.01 Сейчас одна минута второго
2.02 Сейчас две минуты третьего.
3.03 Сейчас три минуты четвёртого.
4.04 Сейчас четыре минуты пятого.
5.05 Сейчас пять минут шестого.
6.10 Сейчас десять минут седьмого.
7.13 Сейчас тринадцать минут восьмого.
8.18 Сейчас восемнадцать минут девятого.
9.20 Сейчас двадцать минут десятого.
10.21 Сейчас двадцать одна минута одиннадцатого.
11.23 Сейчас двадцать три минуты двенадцатого.
12.29 Сейчас двадцать девять минут первого.


The literal translation of "one minute before one" is "without one minute one". THe Russian word for minute may or may not be stated. This structure is used for all times from one minute to twenty nine minutes before the hour, as in the following examples:

1.31 Сейчас без двадцати девяти (минут) два.
2.32 Сейчас без двадцати восьми (минут) три.
3.33 Сейчас без двадцати семи (минут) четыре.
4.34 Сейчас без двадцати шести (минут) пять.
6.40 Сейчас без двадцати (минут) семь.
7.43 Сейчас без семнадцати (минут) восемь.
8.48 Сейчас без двенадцати (минут) девять.
9.50 Сейчас без десяти (минут) десять.
10.51 Сейчас без девяти (минут) одиннадцать.
11.53 Сейчас без семи (минут) двенадцать.
12.55 Сейчас без пяти (минут) час.
1.56 Сейчас без четырёх (минут) два.
1.57 Сейчас без трёх (минут) два.
1.58 Сейчас без двух (минут) два.
1.59 Сейчас без одной (минут) два.

Note the genitive case of the numbers used after the preposition без. The forms are given in the list above; for the numbers 1-4 the genitive must be learned.

To state that something will occur at a certain time, use the preposition в for times on the hour and on the half hour.

Мы пришли домой в пять часов. We came home at five o'clock.
Мы пришли домой в половине четвёртого (в полчетвёртого). We came home at three thirty.

The use of в is optional when you say something that takes place during the first 29 minutes of the hour.

Мы пришли домой (в) четверть пятого. We came home at four fifteen
Мы пошли в ки... Wait a second. Мы пришли домой (в) двадцать минут шестого. We came home at five twenty.

Do not use в before без for stating time in the second half of the hour.

Мы пришли домой без четверти семь. We came home at six forty five.

Context often makes it clear whether one is talking about the morning or the evening, as in the sentence Я завтракаю в 8 часов. When the specific time might be ambiguous otherwise, add утра, дня, вечера, or ночи after the clock time. These expressions are in the genitive case.


A new day! Will I today have internet at work? Well, wireless. We shall see!

God, that's a pile of rules. Yes, I'm still doing Russian. Two days a week, possibly reducing it to weekend review if I can make that stick. But, two days a week until I finish this chapter. And then going back and reviewing.

I've gotten ever so slightly addicted to Night Circus. I blame a certain person who knows who she is. If you're interested, um. Let me know and I'll send you an invite? It's pretty simple to play, kind of ... fluffy gothy ... something. And yet eerily entertaining and addictive. I still don't have wireless at work, so there's only so much I can do during the day, but I will probably be very distracted by it tonight.

That said, though, the still not having wireless at work is incredibly irritating. And would be more so if I didn't have docs to work on on my netbook, but at least there's that. Still irritating because this computer is ten, fifteen years old, slow as an arthritic turtle, and as crazy as it's been the past couple of days I have the sneaking suspicion work's going to give me at least one slow day this week. Which means I should get cracking on my Big Bangs, really. Worked some on my Horror Big Bang last night, but I still have no real idea where it's going and I fell asleep early anyway. I'd really like to know if this exhausted thing is going to keep up or go away.

And all my muscles ache. All of them. Okay, mostly my arms and legs, but it's the good, I did a lot of exercise ache. Just have to keep moving so I don't stiffen up. Oogh sleepy. Looking forward to a lot of sleep this weekend.