Italian · Numbers & time

Telling Time & Counting in Italian

Clock, calendar, age — Italian for the basics that come up in every conversation.

70 entries ·Clock, calendar, age · Audio on every entry · cross-checked

You’re standing in a crowded Italian train station, staring at the departure board. Your train leaves at 14:30 from binario diciassette. If those words are a mystery, you might be watching your train pull away without you.

Numbers and time are the nuts and bolts of any trip. They come up when you’re buying gelato, asking for a museum's hours, or telling someone how old you are. They aren’t flashy, but you can’t get by without them.

We've organized this page into the essentials: counting, telling time, and the calendar. Every phrase and audio clip has been checked and recorded by a native Italian speaker, so you can trust what you're learning.

30 time and date phrases

Full index · ordered A → Z

uno-dieci OO-noh dee-EH-chee
dieci DYE-chee
trenta TREN-tah
quattro KWAHT-troh
quaranta kwah-RAHN-tah
sette SET-teh
un mezzo oon MED-zoh
un quarto d'ora oon KWAR-toh DOH-rah
Siete aperti la domenica? SYEH-teh ah-PER-tee lah doh-MEH-nee-kah
a mezzanotte ah med-zah-NOT-teh
di notte dee NOT-tay
A mezzogiorno. ah med-dzoh-JOR-noh
i giorni della settimana ee JOOR-nee DEL-lah set-tee-MAH-nah
dicembre dee-CHEM-breh
primo PREE-moh
quattro KWAHT-troh
Venerdì veh-nehr-DEE
Buon compleanno! bwon kom-pleh-AHN-noh
Buon anno! bwon AH-noh
Quanto tempo ci vuole? KWAN-toh TEM-poh cheh VWO-leh
Quanto tempo ci vuole? KWAN-toh TEM-poh chee VWO-leh
Quanti anni hai? KWAHN-tee AHN-nee EYE
Ho trent'anni. oh tren-TAH-nee
tra un'ora trah oon-OH-rah
tra cinque minuti trah CHEEN-kweh mee-NOO-tee
nel pomeriggio nel poh-meh-REE-joh
Di sera. dee-SEH-rah
la mattina lah mah-TEE-nah
Sono le sei meno un quarto. SOH-noh leh SEH-ee MEH-noh oon KWAR-toh
Sono le quattro e mezza. SOH-noh LAY KWAHT-troh eh MEHD-dzah
Sono le tre. SO-noh lay treh
gennaio jen-NAH-yoh
luglio LOO-lyoh
La settimana scorsa. la set-ti-MA-na SKOR-sa
Buon Natale BWON nah-TAH-leh
Lunedì loo-neh-DEE
mesi MEH-zee
Buongiorno bwon-JOR-noh
la settimana prossima lah set-tee-MAH-nah PROSS-ee-mah
novembre noh-VEM-breh
numero NOO-meh-roh
uno OO-noh
centouno chen-toh-OO-noh
mille MEEL-leh
sabato SAH-bah-toh
secondo seh-KON-doh
Ci vediamo alle otto. chee ve-DYAH-mo ah-leh OT-toh
estate es-TAH-teh
domenica doh-MEN-ee-kah
dieci dee-EH-chee
dopodomani doh-poh-doh-MAH-nee
terzo TAIR-tso
Questa settimana. KWES-ta set-ti-MA-na
tre TREH
giovedì jwoh-VEH-dee
Oggi. OD-jee
domani doh-MAH-nee
stasera stas-EH-rah
martedì mar-teh-DEE
venti VEN-tee
venti minuti di macchina VEN-tee mee-NOO-tee dee MAK-kee-nah
due DOO-eh
mercoledì mehr-koh-leh-DEE
settimana set-TEE-mah-nah
A che ora chiudete? a keh OH-rah kyu-DEH-teh
A che ora aprite? ah keh OH-rah ah-PREE-teh
Che ore sono? keh OH-reh SOH-noh
Che giorno è oggi? keh JOOR-noh eh OD-jee
l'inverno lin-VEHR-noh
ieri EE-eh-ree

Frequently asked

Do Italians use a 24-hour clock?

Yes, the 24-hour clock is standard for all official schedules, like trains, flights, and museum hours. In casual conversation, people often use the 12-hour format, but you absolutely need to know the 24-hour system for travel.

What if I get the numbers wrong when paying in Italy?

Don't worry, it happens to everyone. Most shopkeepers are patient and will often show you the price on a calculator or screen. Just point and use your fingers if you get stuck; a smile goes a long way.

How do you say your age in Italian?

In Italian, you "have" years rather than "are" a certain age. You'll use the verb avere (to have), so you'd say "Ho trent'anni" for "I am thirty years old."

Why are Italian numbers from 11 to 16 so irregular?

Those numbers are a bit tricky because they follow a "number + ten" pattern, like quattordici for "four-ten." From 17 on, the pattern flips to "ten + number," like diciassette for "ten-seven." It just takes a little practice to get the hang of it.