तीन बजे हैं

You use this phrase exactly like 'It is 3:00' in English. Just place the number at the start. If it is 4:00, you say chaar baje hain. If it is 5:00, you say paanch baje hain. You do not need a subject like 'It'. The number does all the heavy lifting for you. It is the ultimate shortcut for a beginner.

Use it when your boss asks for the time. Use it when a stranger at the bus stop looks lost. It works perfectly in text messages to friends. If you are meeting someone for tea, this is your go-to line. It is polite enough for a waiter but casual enough for your sibling. It is the 'white t-shirt' of Hindi sentences—it fits everywhere.

Do not use this if you are talking about a duration. If you want to say 'I waited for three hours,' this phrase will fail you. For duration, you need the word ghante. Also, avoid using this for very specific minutes unless you add more words. If it is 3:01, saying teen baje hain might make you look a bit imprecise. Don't be that guy who is always exactly on the hour!

Time in India can be a bit 'flexible' sometimes. You might hear people say teen baj rahe hain which means 'it is striking three.' This implies a sense of ongoing time. In many parts of India, being exactly on time is a suggestion. However, the phrase itself remains crisp and authoritative. It carries the legacy of old clock towers in colonial town squares.

You can add the at the end to make it past tense: teen baje the. This means 'It was three o'clock.' If you are unsure, you can say shayad teen baje hain. That means 'Maybe it is three o'clock.' To ask the time, just flip it into a question: kya teen baje hain?. It is a very modular and friendly bit of grammar.