Time and Date in Russian
Lesson Objective:
By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Understand and say the time in Russian
- Ask for and give the date in Russian
- Use vocabulary and grammar related to dates and times confidently
Vocabulary List:
- время: time
- дата: date
- час: hour
- минута: minute
- секунда: second
- сейчас: now
- утро: morning
- день: day / afternoon
- вечер: evening
- ночь: night
- сегодня: today
- завтра: tomorrow
- вчера: yesterday
- понедельник: Monday
- вторник: Tuesday
- среда: Wednesday
- четверг: Thursday
- пятница: Friday
- суббота: Saturday
- воскресенье: Sunday
- месяц: month
- год: year
- который час?: what time is it?
- Какое сегодня число?: What is today’s date?
Grammar Point:
In Russian, telling time often uses the 12-hour clock in informal situations and the 24-hour clock for formal or public announcements. The question "Который час?" is used to ask the time. For example:
- Сейчас три часа.- It is three o'clock.
- Сейчас половина пятого.- It is half past four. (literally: Half of five)
- Сейчас четверть шестого.- It is a quarter past five. (literally: A quarter of six)
Days of the week and months are not capitalized in Russian. To say the date, use the phrase “Какое сегодня число?” and respond with:
- Сегодня первое мая.- Today is the first of May.
- Сегодня двадцать третье ноября.- Today is the twenty-third of November.
Note: Ordinal numbers are used for dates (first, second, third...) and must be in the neuter gender (ending in -ое or -ее).
Exercises:
Reading Comprehension:
Dialogue:
А: Привет! Который час?
B: Сейчас четыре часа пятнадцать минут.
A: Спасибо! А какое сегодня число?
B: Сегодня пятое апреля.
Questions:
- What time is it?
- What is today’s date?
Listening Comprehension:
Listen to a speaker saying several times of the day (your teacher or an audio file) and write down what you hear. Examples:
- Сейчас одиннадцать часов.
- Сейчас без пятнадцати шесть.
- Сейчас половина восьмого.
Speaking Practice:
Practice the following dialogue with a partner. Ask and answer about the current time and date:
- A: Который час?
- B: Сейчас ______.
- A: Какое сегодня число?
- B: Сегодня ______.
Summary:
In this lesson, we learned how to tell the time and state dates in Russian. You now know key vocabulary related to time and days, how to use ordinal numbers for dates, and how to structure questions and responses appropriately.
Homework:
- Write five sentences stating the time at different moments of your day in Russian.
- Write a short paragraph describing what day of the week and date your birthday is on this year in Russian.
- Practice saying the dates for holidays in your country in Russian.
