CEFR A1

    Time Vocabulary

    Learn essential vocabulary for telling time, days of the week, months, and common time expressions used in everyday English.

    Learning Objectives

    Learn how to tell the time using hours, minutes, and common expressions like "half past" and "quarter to".
    Master the days of the week and months of the year in English.
    Practice using time prepositions like at, on, and in correctly.
    Build confidence talking about schedules, appointments, and daily routines!

    Time Vocabulary

    In this lesson, you will learn essential time vocabulary in English. This includes telling the time, days of the week, months of the year, and useful time expressions. Being able to talk about time is crucial for making appointments, discussing schedules, and describing your daily routine. Let's master these important words together!

    📖 A Busy Day

    Tom wakes up at seven o'clock every Monday morning.

    He has breakfast at half past seven and leaves home at quarter past eight.

    His English class starts at nine o'clock and finishes at noon.

    In the afternoon, he goes shopping and meets his friends at quarter to five.

    By learning time vocabulary, you can describe your daily routine and make plans with others in English!

    Telling the Time

    O'clock

    Use 'o'clock' when the time is exactly on the hour. We say the number + o'clock.

    • It's one o'clock.
    • It's seven o'clock.
    • The class starts at nine o'clock.

    Half Past

    Use 'half past' when the time is 30 minutes after the hour.

    • It's half past two.
    • I eat lunch at half past twelve.
    • The film starts at half past seven.

    Quarter Past

    Use 'quarter past' when the time is 15 minutes after the hour.

    • It's quarter past three.
    • I wake up at quarter past six.
    • The bus arrives at quarter past eight.

    Quarter To

    Use 'quarter to' when the time is 15 minutes before the next hour.

    • It's quarter to four.
    • The shop closes at quarter to five.
    • I go to bed at quarter to ten.

    Minutes Past/To

    For other times, use 'past' for minutes after the hour (1-30) and 'to' for minutes before the next hour (31-59).

    • It's ten past five. (5:10)
    • It's twenty to three. (2:40)
    • It's five past eleven. (11:05)

    AM and PM

    AM means morning (before 12:00 noon). PM means afternoon and evening (after 12:00 noon).

    • I wake up at 7 AM.
    • The meeting is at 3 PM.
    • The shop opens at 9 AM and closes at 6 PM.

    Want to try a Time Vocabulary quiz?

    Practice with multiple choice questions

    Days of the Week

    Monday

    The first day of the working week. Many people start work or school on Monday.

    • I have English class on Monday.
    • Monday is a busy day.
    • See you on Monday!

    Tuesday

    The second day of the working week.

    • We go swimming on Tuesday.
    • Tuesday is after Monday.
    • I visit my grandmother on Tuesday.

    Wednesday

    The middle of the working week. Also called 'hump day'.

    • Wednesday is in the middle of the week.
    • I have a meeting on Wednesday.
    • We play football on Wednesday.

    Thursday

    The fourth day of the working week.

    • Thursday is my favorite day.
    • We have pizza on Thursday.
    • The party is on Thursday.

    Friday

    The last day of the working week for many people.

    • Friday is the best day!
    • I finish work early on Friday.
    • We go out on Friday night.

    Saturday & Sunday

    The weekend days. Most people don't work on these days.

    • I relax on Saturday.
    • We go to church on Sunday.
    • The weekend is Saturday and Sunday.

    Months of the Year

    January, February, March

    The first three months of the year. These are winter months in many countries.

    • January is the first month.
    • My birthday is in February.
    • Spring starts in March.

    April, May, June

    Spring months. The weather gets warmer.

    • It often rains in April.
    • May is a beautiful month.
    • School ends in June.

    July, August, September

    Summer months. These are usually the hottest months.

    • We go on holiday in July.
    • August is very hot.
    • School starts again in September.

    October, November, December

    Autumn and early winter months. The year ends with December.

    • October has Halloween.
    • November is cold.
    • December has Christmas and New Year.

    Ready to test your Time Vocabulary knowledge?

    Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

    Time Prepositions: at, on, in

    at (specific times)

    • at 3 o'clock, at noon, at midnight
    • at breakfast time, at lunch time, at dinner time
    • at the weekend (British English)
    • at night

    on (days and dates)

    • on Monday, on Tuesday, on Friday
    • on the weekend (American English)
    • on 25th December, on my birthday
    • on Christmas Day, on New Year's Day

    in (months, years, seasons, parts of day)

    • in January, in February, in March
    • in 2024, in the 21st century
    • in spring, in summer, in winter
    • in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

    Master Time Vocabulary sentence building!

    Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

    Useful Time Expressions

    Frequency Words

    Words that describe how often something happens.

    • always (100% of the time)
    • usually / often (most of the time)
    • sometimes (50% of the time)
    • rarely / hardly ever (not often)
    • never (0% of the time)

    Common Time Words

    Everyday words for talking about time.

    • today, yesterday, tomorrow
    • this morning, this afternoon, tonight
    • last week, next week
    • every day, every week, every month

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    ❌ Wrong: I wake up in 7 o'clock.

    ✓ Correct: I wake up at 7 o'clock. (use 'at' for specific times)

    ❌ Wrong: The meeting is in Monday.

    ✓ Correct: The meeting is on Monday. (use 'on' for days)

    ❌ Wrong: My birthday is on January.

    ✓ Correct: My birthday is in January. (use 'in' for months)

    ❌ Wrong: It's 3 and half.

    ✓ Correct: It's half past three. (say 'half past' + the hour)

    ❌ Wrong: I go to bed in the night.

    ✓ Correct: I go to bed at night. (we say 'at night', not 'in the night')

    ❌ Wrong: See you in next Monday.

    ✓ Correct: See you next Monday. (don't use 'in' or 'on' with 'next/last')

    Learning Tips

    Practice telling the time whenever you look at a clock - say it in English!
    Learn the days of the week in order by singing them like a song
    Remember: AT for times (at 3 o'clock), ON for days (on Monday), IN for months (in January)
    Write your daily schedule in English to practice time vocabulary
    Learn important dates like your birthday and holidays in English
    Practice asking "What time is it?" and "What day is it today?" every day
    Make flashcards for the days of the week and months of the year
    Use a calendar in English to reinforce month and day names

    Speaking Practice

    To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

    ✓ What time is it? It's three o'clock.

    ✓ I wake up at seven in the morning.

    ✓ The meeting is on Monday at half past two.

    ✓ My birthday is in January.

    ✓ I have lunch at noon every day.

    ✓ The shop closes at quarter to six.

    Remember!

    Time is everywhere in English! From making appointments to talking about your daily routine, time vocabulary is essential. Remember the three magic prepositions: AT for times, ON for days, and IN for months and seasons. Practice telling the time every day, and soon you'll be a time master! ⏰📅🗓️

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