Signification
Asking for a specific time of an event.
Contexte culturel
Romanians use the 24-hour clock for all official schedules (trains, TV, work), but in speech, they almost always use the 12-hour clock. If someone says 'La șapte', you must use context to know if it's AM or PM. In the Republic of Moldova, the phrase is identical, but you might hear a more Russian-influenced intonation or the occasional use of 'Când?' where a Romanian might be more specific. In parts of Transylvania, due to German and Hungarian influence, punctuality is often more strictly observed than in the south of the country. 'La ce oră?' here means exactly that minute. Younger Romanians in cities like Bucharest or Cluj often drop 'oră' entirely in texts, simply writing 'La cât?' or even just 'La?' if the context of time is already established.
The 'La' Rule
Always include 'La' when asking about a schedule. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Don't use for 'Now'
If you ask a stranger 'La ce oră este?' while pointing at your watch, they will be confused. Use 'Cât e ceasul?' instead.
Signification
Asking for a specific time of an event.
The 'La' Rule
Always include 'La' when asking about a schedule. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Don't use for 'Now'
If you ask a stranger 'La ce oră este?' while pointing at your watch, they will be confused. Use 'Cât e ceasul?' instead.
Use 'La cât?' with friends
To sound more like a native, use 'La cât?' in casual texts and conversations.
The 24h Clock
Be prepared to hear 'ora optsprezece' (18:00) in official settings, but 'ora șase' (6:00) in casual ones.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing preposition to ask 'At what time?'.
___ ce oră începe concertul?
In Romanian, 'La' is the mandatory preposition for specific clock times.
Which of these is the correct way to ask for the current time?
How do you ask 'What time is it now?'
'La ce oră' is for events, 'Ce oră este' is for the current time.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural phrase.
Andrei: Vrei să mergem la film? Ioana: Da. _________?
Ioana is asking for the specific start time of the movie.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
You are at the airport and want to know when the plane lands.
'Ajunge' means 'arrives', making this the perfect question for a landing time.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Formal vs Informal Time Asking
Common Contexts
Travel
- • Trains
- • Planes
- • Buses
Social
- • Parties
- • Coffee
- • Dates
Work
- • Meetings
- • Deadlines
- • Shifts
Banque d exercices
4 exercices___ ce oră începe concertul?
In Romanian, 'La' is the mandatory preposition for specific clock times.
How do you ask 'What time is it now?'
'La ce oră' is for events, 'Ce oră este' is for the current time.
Andrei: Vrei să mergem la film? Ioana: Da. _________?
Ioana is asking for the specific start time of the movie.
You are at the airport and want to know when the plane lands.
'Ajunge' means 'arrives', making this the perfect question for a landing time.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
14 questionsNo, 'Ce oră?' is grammatically incomplete. You need 'La ce oră?' for 'At what time?' or 'Ce oră este?' for 'What time is it?'.
It is neutral. You can use it with anyone. 'La cât?' is the informal version.
Start your answer with 'La ora...' followed by the number. For example: 'La ora cinci'.
You can say 'Pe la ora cinci' (Around five o'clock) or 'Nu știu exact' (I don't know exactly).
In casual speech, you can drop it: 'La cinci'. In formal speech, keep it: 'La ora cinci'.
Use 'oră' (singular) for the question. Use 'ore' only if you are talking about multiple different times.
Yes, 'Când?' (When?) is more general. 'La ce oră?' is more specific.
La ce oră deschideți?
It's a shorter, more efficient way to ask the same thing, similar to how English speakers might say 'What time?' instead of 'At what time?'.
No, that's 'oră' in Latin, but in Romanian, 'oră' only means 'hour'. 'Prayer' is 'rugăciune'.
Yes, like most Romanian 'r' sounds, it is a single tap or a slight roll.
No, for days use 'În ce zi?' (On what day?) or 'Când?'.
Mă scuzați, îmi puteți spune cât e ceasul, vă rog?
Yes, it is very common and perfectly professional.
Expressions liées
La cât?
similarAt how much? (Informal 'What time?')
Ce oră este?
similarWhat time is it?
Cât e ceasul?
similarWhat is the clock?
Pe la ce oră?
specialized formAround what time?
La fix
builds onExactly at the hour
Din oră în oră
relatedHour by hour
