الساعة...
alsaaa
It is... o'clock
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'الساعة' followed by an ordinal number to state the current time or schedule an event in Arabic.
- Means: 'The time is...' or 'It is ... o'clock.'
- Used in: Daily conversations, checking schedules, and making appointments.
- Don't confuse: Using cardinal numbers (one, two) instead of feminine ordinal numbers (first, second).
Explanation at your level:
意思
States the current time.
文化背景
Time is often viewed more flexibly than in Western cultures. 'الساعة التاسعة' might mean anytime between 9:00 and 9:30 in social contexts. The day is divided by the five prayer times, which change slightly every day based on the sun. Many people use these as primary time markers. In the Levant, it is very common to use 'illa' (less) for the second half of the hour, even in very casual speech. In professional environments, 24-hour time is often used in writing, but when speaking, people stick to the 12-hour 'الساعة' format with 'صباحاً' (AM) or 'مساءً' (PM).
Master the Ordinals
If you learn the numbers 1-12 in their 'Fa'ila' pattern, you've mastered 90% of telling time.
Watch the Gender
Never use 'al-thani' (masculine); always use 'al-thaniya' (feminine) with 'Sa'a'.
意思
States the current time.
Master the Ordinals
If you learn the numbers 1-12 in their 'Fa'ila' pattern, you've mastered 90% of telling time.
Watch the Gender
Never use 'al-thani' (masculine); always use 'al-thaniya' (feminine) with 'Sa'a'.
AM/PM
Instead of AM/PM, use 'sabahan' (morning) and 'masa'an' (evening).
自我测试
Choose the correct way to say 'It is 4:00' in formal Arabic.
الساعة الآن...
We use the feminine ordinal 'الرابعة' to match the feminine noun 'الساعة'.
Complete the sentence to say 'at six o'clock'.
نلتقي في ___ السادسة.
The standard phrase for 'at [time] o'clock' is 'في الساعة...'.
Match the Arabic time to its English translation.
Match the following:
These are the standard ordinal forms for 1, 2, 5, and 10.
Fill in the missing word in this dialogue.
أ: كم الساعة؟ ب: الساعة الآن الثامنة ___ ربعاً (It is 7:45).
'إلا' (illa) is used to mean 'minus' or 'to' when telling time.
🎉 得分： /4
视觉学习工具
Time Modifiers
Fractions
- • نصف (Half)
- • ربع (Quarter)
- • ثلث (Third)
Periods
- • صباحاً (Morning)
- • ظهراً (Noon)
- • مساءً (Evening)
常见问题
4 个问题In formal Arabic, yes. In dialects, you can often just say the number, but starting with 'As-sa'a' is always correct and polite.
الساعة الثانية عشرة (As-sa'atu al-thaniya 'ashra).
'Wa' means 'and' (past the hour), and 'illa' means 'except/to' (before the hour).
The words are the same in MSA, but the 'vibe' of punctuality and the use of prayer times as markers varies by region.
相关表达
في الوقت المحدد
similarOn time / At the specified time
مضي الوقت
builds onThe passage of time
ساعة الحائط
specialized formWall clock
ساعة اليد
specialized formWristwatch
在哪里用
At the Airport
Traveler: عفواً، كم الساعة الآن؟
Officer: الساعةُ الآنَ الخامسةُ والربع.
Meeting a Friend
Sami: متى نلتقي في المقهى؟
Laila: نلتقي الساعةَ السادسةَ مساءً.
Job Interview
Manager: سيبدأ الاجتماع الساعةَ التاسعةَ تماماً.
Candidate: سأكون هناك في الساعةِ التاسعة، شكراً لك.
Ordering Food
Customer: متى سيصل الطعام؟
Driver: سيصل الساعةَ الثامنةَ والنصف.
At the Doctor
Receptionist: موعدك مع الطبيب الساعةَ الحاديةَ عشرة.
Patient: حسناً، سأحضر في الساعةِ الحاديةَ عشرة.
Watching TV
Child: متى يبدأ الفيلم؟
Parent: يبدأ الساعةَ السابعةَ إلا ربعاً.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Sa'a' as 'Saw a' clock. You 'saw a' clock to tell the time.
Visual Association
Imagine a large, ornate golden clock in a desert oasis. The numbers are written in beautiful Arabic calligraphy, and as the hand moves, it glows with the word 'الساعة'.
Rhyme
الساعةُ الآنَ... هيّا بنا للبيان! (As-sa'atu al-an... hayya bina lil-bayan! - The time is now... let's go to the explanation!)
Story
A traveler in Cairo is lost. He looks at his watch and says 'الساعة'. A local smiles and completes the sentence 'الساعة الثالثة'. They both realize they are late for tea, and the word 'الساعة' becomes their bond for the afternoon.
Word Web
挑战
Set your phone's language to Arabic for 5 minutes and try to read the time on the lock screen aloud using the 'الساعة' formula.
In Other Languages
Es la... / Son las...
Spanish uses plural 'Son las' for all hours except 1:00, while Arabic keeps 'As-sa'a' singular.
Il est... heures
French uses cardinal numbers (deux, trois) whereas formal Arabic uses ordinals (second, third).
Es ist... Uhr
In German, 'Uhr' comes after the number, while in Arabic, 'Sa'a' comes before.
...ji desu
Japanese uses a suffix system, while Arabic uses a noun-adjective prefix system.
الساعة [رقم]
Egyptian dialect uses cardinal numbers (wahed, etneen) instead of ordinals (wahida, thaniya).
...diǎn
The conceptual metaphor is a 'point' in Chinese versus an 'hour/clock' in Arabic.
...si-yeyo
Korean uses two different number systems (Native and Sino-Korean) for time, which is more complex than Arabic's single system.
São... horas
Arabic treats 'The Hour' as a singular definite concept for the current time.
Easily Confused
Learners use the plural 'sa'at' to tell the time.
Use singular 'As-sa'a' for the clock time; use plural 'sa'at' only for duration (e.g., 3 hours).
Using 'waqt' instead of 'sa'a' to ask for the time.
'Waqt' is 'time' in general. 'Sa'a' is the specific 'hour' on the clock.
常见问题 (4)
In formal Arabic, yes. In dialects, you can often just say the number, but starting with 'As-sa'a' is always correct and polite.
الساعة الثانية عشرة (As-sa'atu al-thaniya 'ashra).
'Wa' means 'and' (past the hour), and 'illa' means 'except/to' (before the hour).
The words are the same in MSA, but the 'vibe' of punctuality and the use of prayer times as markers varies by region.
